Falling Leaves
by Autobot Guardian
Summary: Starting with Kakashi finding himself in a mountain range that nobody comes out of alive, we take a trip through the Naruto world where there are mini-Kakashis, a mysterious clan that hid away from the world, and many different choices that we wish were made in the actual story. Further along... who knows what will happen now that the entire plot has been changed? Naruto AU
1. Found

_**BEFORE WE BEGIN!**_

_**Hey, everyone! This is Autobot Guardian and my good friend, 1000anime!**_

_**To start things off, Autobot Guardian only just recently started to watch the Naruto series, so most of the stuff that is based off of canon has been checked by 1000anime, who has been AWESOME with helping write this story! Also, just so we don't have to repeat ourselves, we don't. Own. Naruto.**_

…_**. But we wish we did.**_

_**Anyway, we only own the OCs, the stuff that's not in canon, and the weirdness that comes straight out of AG's head. Luckily, I have my friend to help me tone down the weirdness that is just entirely not possible… but trust me, it's gonna get weirder after about chapter 15 or so. And especially after the 20th chapter or so… I don't really know when the really weird stuff starts, because we didn't number these chapters in the original document.**_

_**Also, a little warning, we ARE going to change the main point of view at some parts, since the imagination doesn't always like the same viewpoint over and over again. And also, for those who have read Autobot Guardian's stories before, you probably know what happens to her favorites, and you better pray for both Kakashi and Shikamaru.**_

_**Anyway, please enjoy Falling Leaves, and PLEASE leave reviews! Are we crazy? Is it just purely funny? Are there any parts that you guys don't really like that much? Please let us know!**_

_**ENJOY THE STORY!**_

* * *

**FOUND **

A white-haired young woman looked around, poking her head out of her house at night, and slowly crept outside, watching for anyone who might spot her. She had been very curious about the borders of their lands, and she had heard from the scouts of the Uma and Washi tribes of their family that there had been battles recently between the other lands.

'_I wonder if I'll find anyone out there… I hope I don't run into anyone hostile… but I want to see the moon…_' she thought to herself, as she slipped through the mist of the village like a white shadow, soon reaching the forest.

When she reached the creek that ran through the forest, she waded into it until the water came up over her ankles, tilting her head back to look up at the full moon and the stars. It was beautiful, and the forest around her was so quiet…

Then, she felt some unusual ripples in the water over her skin, and she looked around for the source… and saw a man floating down the creek. His silver hair seemed to shine in the moonlight, and he was face-up, blood running down the left side of his face.

"A warrior…" she said softly, hiking up the skirt of her pure white robes to wade out to the man, wondering if he was alive or not. Most likely not. "I wonder what side he was on…"

The man was clothed in darker colors, and had a mask over most of his face and a torn headband that hung loosely over his forehead. The mask had a slice through it, and it prevented her from seeing what his entire face looked like.

After tying her skirt up so she could use both hands, the young woman gently wrapped her arms around the man's chest under his shoulders and pulled him over to the riverbank, laying him down on the grass under one of the trees. She placed two of her fingers against the pulse point in his neck, and her eyes widened.

"He's _alive_…" she whispered in wonder, then started to check the man's injuries, not caring about the red that was starting to stain her long white sleeves, moving his headband aside to get a better view of the injury to his face as well. There was a large gash across his chest, and she found a kunai stuck in his right side, which she immediately removed. She also found a senbon needle in his left leg, and removed that as well. Then, she heard him moan softly, and she took in a soft breath in shock, going to lean over him and look at his face. "Sir? Can you hear me?"

His eyes, one a dark slate gray and the other red with three tomoe around the pupil, opened up slightly, and he gazed up at her with an uncomprehending gaze, disoriented and confused. Then, softly, he heard him say, "Wh-who…?"

"Shhh… I'm Aoi Hakucho… I want to help you, just relax…" she said soothingly to him, putting a gentle hand on the side of his face as she spoke. "You're going to be alright…"

The man said nothing, his eyes closing once more, and Aoi looked around to try to find some way to bring him back to her village. Suddenly, the sound of twigs snapping caused her to look up sharply, and she saw a heavyset man with a large sword and a scar across his face enter the small clearing near the creek, a grin on his face.

"Just step away from the Copy-Ninja, missy," he said, his dark eyes glittering with malice, "I'll finish him off soon enough…"

Aoi's ice-blue eyes narrowed, as she moved to stand between this newcomer and the man she had pulled from the creek, her skirt still tied up so that it hung just above her knees, a little longer on the left side.

"Who are you?! What do you want with this man?!" she demanded, and he laughed, _laughed_, at her!

"He's from Leaf Village; my nation's enemies. Now, I say again, step aside, and I will deal with him swiftly," the swordsman said, bringing his sword down off of his back, but Aoi went into a defensive position, reaching into her large sleeves and pulling out a pair of large, folded shurikens, unfolding them in front of herself with her arms crossed.

"If you want this man… you'll have to go through _me_," she said, and he chuckled darkly.

"Suit yourself."

He charged, faster than she had expected, and swung his sword, which she barely blocked with the shuriken in her right hand, and she swung at him with the shuriken in her left, but he quickly jumped away, readying his sword again. When he swung, she was too slow to fully stop it. The blade cut shallowly into her right shoulder, and she let out a cry of pain and fury, swinging at him with the shuriken in her left hand, but he jumped away once more, smirking.

"Give up, girlie. I'd hate to have to leave more scars on such a beauty…" he said, and she glared at him.

"And leave a man to die? Fat chance," she spat at him, and he laughed at her, but the laugh was cut off by a cry of pain, as a kunai came out of nowhere and stabbed into his left shoulder! "What the-"

"Aoi, are you alright?" Aoi looked at the new arrival in shock, recognizing him as one of the Tora tribe in her village. He was a few years older than herself at twenty-one years old, standing at about six feet tall, and he wore a black leather tunic and knee-length leggings, his arms and legs covered by a tiger hide. His hair was black with some white streaks, and his eyes were a fiery amber color.

"Takeshi! How did you-" she started to ask, and he gave her a feral grin.

"The Washi clan told me you had snuck out, and they sent me to make sure you were safe. Didn't expect to find you had made a friend," he said jokingly, pulling out six more kunai from pouches on his hips.

"Yeah, well, he's not a very good friend," she said, smirking while holding her injured shoulder. She backed up to kneel next to the man she had pulled from the creek, as Takeshi got between her and the man attacking them.

"New guy or not, you're not going to stop me from finishing that Copy-Ninja off!" the sword-wielding ninja bellowed, and Takeshi glanced behind him to see Aoi now kneeling next to the unconscious man, and then looked back at the attacker.

"If Aoi wants to keep him safe, then I will help her." he stated, crossing his arms in front of him with the kunai held between his fingers, "And our people _don't like trespassers_."

With that, the Tiger-Ninja lunged at the swordsman, and within a few minutes, the attacker lay dead on the ground, kunai sticking out of his chest, back, and skull. Takeshi turned back to Aoi, and knelt down with her next to the unconscious man with silver hair.

"Who is this?"

"I… I don't know…" she admitted, as she gently peeled the soaked fabric of the man's shirt aside to look at the chest injury, "I found him in the creek… I just… I couldn't leave him to _die_…"

To her surprise, he smiled at her, putting a hand on her uninjured shoulder. "I understand… Come, I'll help you get him back to the village for medical treatment."

"Thank you…" the two of them picked the man up together, and carried him through the forest towards their hidden village…

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

When Aoi and Takeshi arrived with the injured man to their village, the sun was beginning to rise as they were met by a man who looked a lot like the young woman, but his eyes were pale silver instead of ice blue that held behind them wisdom far past his forty-eight years.

His gaze was first met by his daughter and the Tiger-like man, but quickly followed to the unconscious ninja between them. "Aoi, Takeshi, what have you done!? You brought an outsider into our home! You know what will happen to him when the elders hear about this-"

"Father, I want to help this man," the white-haired woman said, her ice-blue eyes pleading as she supported the silver-haired man's shoulders, "I found him in the creek, severely wounded… Please, Father… at least let me tend to his wounds until he can properly meet the Five Elders…" Her shoulders were tense as silence was held between the parent and child; Takeshi standing by in respect of their conversation as the members of the village present stood still as they awaited their leader's final say in the matter.

"Very well… but the man will stay in a separate housing from the rest of our village. I can tell from his attire he is a Shinobi; they are by far the deadliest breed known to our clan…"

"Father… when he woke briefly after I found him… he did nothing. He… he seemed to _trust_ me, Father…" Aoi looked down at the unconscious man, her ice-blue eyes shining with unshed tears. "He willingly put his life in the hands of a stranger…"

The older man motioned for another two men to take the ninja's body from Aoi's support to a shed that was currently not being used for food storage. "That's probably because of how much blood he lost, Aoi… the fact he did nothing in the state he's currently in is no surprise. What would truly be a miracle would be if he did not tell a soul about this place; Shinobi answer to a higher power, and to lie to their superior is crime punishable by death.. Especially in times of war like they are now."

"At least give him a chance, Father…" Aoi pleaded, as she watched the man's body be escorted to a shed near the edge of the village, "You never know until you try…"

Seeing how his daughter would not drop the subject, a deep sigh left his lips as he nodded. "Very well… He will be given that chance when he goes before the Elders. For now, he will be able to regain the strength he lost-" His words were interrupted as his eyes narrowed on the arm Aoi was holding, a shallow stain of red that stood stark from her white clothes. "And I will see to that myself… Shallow though that may be, wounds like that can still get infected if not treated immediately."

"Father, the man I saved did not do this…" she said, glancing at her injured shoulder, "It was another man who sought to kill him. I was already determined to keep the man alive; I defended him. Takeshi finished him off; his body is near the creek."

"Good riddance then. His body shall be left for the vultures to pick apart…"

"_Father!_" Aoi gasped, her eyes wide in shock. "Did you forget that you taught me that the deceased, no matter who they may be, should be treated with respect?!"

"Then whoever he is allied with can take his body back with them. Where one spider web lies, the spider is undoubtedly close by…"

"And if he was alone?"

"Huh… you are too much like your mother, you know that? If no one has come to take his body by tomorrow's moon, then I'll send a message to Katsuo Tora for his clan to retrieve his body and bury it somewhere. That way they can pick through his belongings if anything is of value."

"Well… he had a rather large sword…" Aoi said offhandedly, tapping one finger against her chin.

"Then the Tiger tribe will have a good harvest… their tribe is the most battle-thirsty people I have ever met…" And with that, the Swan tribal leader ushered his daughter to their home as the sun rose above them, unknowingly triggering a sequence of events that would later affect their lives as they knew it...


	2. Alive and Awake

**ALIVE AND AWAKE**

Days later, as Aoi was tending to the injured man in the shed under the careful watch of Takeshi and another Tora tribe member, the three of them were surprised when they heard a soft groan, seeing the Shinobi opening his eyes. They seemed more focused this time, immediately looking straight at the white-haired girl, who smiled gently at him as the other Tora member ran out, no doubt to alert her father that the outsider was conscious.

"Welcome back to the land of the living, stranger," she said, putting a calming hand on his good shoulder when he tried to get up. "Relax, I'm not going to hurt you…"

"Wh-" the man started to say, but he was interrupted by a violent bout of coughing as a result of his dry throat when he tried to speak. Aoi quickly brought a cup of water she had nearby to his lips, lifting his head to help him drink, and the coughing subsided after a few seconds.

"Better?" She asked, setting the cup down, and he nodded, looking over at her with his mismatched eyes.

"Yes… thank you…" he said, his voice slightly hoarse, and he then asked, "Where… am I?"

"You're in my village," the young woman said, still smiling, "Do you remember me telling you my name?"

His eyes shifted as he tried to recall what had happened before he had collapsed. "Aoi?" He said uncertainly, and she nodded.

"So you do remember…" If he was able remember something as faint as that, it was a good sign that he didn't have a concussion.

"Who is he?" the man asked, eyeing the wild stranger sitting against the far wall who gave a very feral smile in return; reminding him of ninja from the Inuzuka clan.

"That's Takeshi Tora; he helped me carry you here and fended off a Shinobi who was after your life," Aoi told him, smiling over at the wild-looking young man that the silver-haired Shinobi had asked about as Takeshi's grin grew.

"Heck yeah, I did. I got to keep his sword, too." Takeshi said, pulling out the blade from his waist as he showed it off. "Had to fight some of the guys from taking it, but the broken nose Daichi gave me was well worth it since I got a good excuse to beat the living crap out of him."

Their conversation was interrupted as an average sized man with short brown hair and amber reptilian-like eyes entered the room, carrying what looked like a medicine bag in his hands. As normal as the man's appearance was to Aoi and Takeshi, the silver-haired man seemed to jump a little, staring at his eyes that reminded him of another snake-like man. In return, the newcomer stared at the Shinobi's eyes in wide-eyed shock.

"... Please don't tell me you're related to a man known as Orochimaru…" the silver-haired man said softly, staring at the brown-haired man in a mixture of uncertainty and panic.

"Hmm… Orochimaru… It's a relatively good name, but I don't know him. Is he a friend of yours?"

The silver-haired man shook his head, relaxing again now that his initial panic was gone, as he said, "No, he's a traitor to my village. He's wanted for the killing and illegal experimentation of many Shinobi and civilians, as well as his own students..." Looking up at him, he continued saying, "Your appearance reminded me of him… Especially around the eyes."

"Well, I will apologize for scaring you. I understand that, outside our village, my appearance would certainly raise a few eyebrows. Though I can't say I'm the only one with unique eyes." Osamu commented, referring to his exposed left eye, and the silver-haired man quickly brought a hand up to that eye, his eyes widening in panic as he seemed to realize something.

"My headband! Where is it?!" he asked, his tone laced again with fear and anxiety, as he looked around at the interior of the shed he was in until Takeshi handed him the piece of cloth and metal. "Thank you… I almost never take this thing off…" he said, tying it back around his head in a way that caused it to cover his unusual eye.

"While I am not a ninja like yourself, I understand that is a very special eye you have there; how did you come to possess it?"

"... It was while I was on a mission…" the silver-haired man said softly, his exposed eye looking down into his lap with a mournful look on his face. "I… I was with my team… We were caught in a trap, my… my original eye pretty much beyond hope of recovery…" he swallowed, even as the others listened with a mixture of macabre curiosity and dread. "My friend… he was crushed under a pile of stone… He… gave his Sharingan to replace… my damaged eye…"

Takeshi glanced over at Aoi as the stranger told his story, finding it sad that someone who looked the same age as his friend had already experienced something so horrible at his age.

"I'm supposed to protect people…" the silver-haired man said, seemingly to himself, "How can I protect others if I can't even save my own _friend_…?" Kakashi's monologue was quickly stopped by a sharp whap to the back of the head, surprising… everyone.

"If I wanted to hear someone pitying themselves, I would've gone to the Tiger tribe after they lost to Takeshi here…" Osamu said darkly, ignoring the look he received from said Tora. "Plus, a young man such as yourself should not be dwelling on such thoughts until you have something to truly regret in your life."

"... Like your friend using you to commit suicide?"

Osamu's dark look softened at the tortured expression the silver-haired man had on his face, but remained stern. "I may not have known your friend, but I've known shinobi who'd rather take the blow of a friend than that of an enemy's when the odds were against them… Am I correct?"

Kakashi sat still for a moment before slowing nodding his head, his single eye not looking into his as he did so. He had known others who had also died in battle, but they hadn't been people who killed themselves… and weren't an individual he had promised to protect on the deathbed of another friend.

"It's ok to feel sorrow, Brave Shinobi," Aoi said softly, putting a hand on his shoulder, "But don't let the past keep you from being able to fly…"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Two days later, many of Kakashi's wounds were on their way to properly healing with the care of Osamu's medicines and Aoi's patience to help him; all of which Kakashi was grateful for. If he hadn't been in their care, the road to recovery for the amount of injuries he had would've taken longer to heal, let alone know if he would ever fight again.

Now that he was getting better, the event of meeting with the council of Elders could not be put off any longer, and that was why Kakashi was now sitting before them, sitting seiza on the floor as five elderly men and women watched him with determined eyes.

Aoi's father, Hiroto as Kakashi had learned his name to be, sat beside him, though was not far from being as tense as his shoulders stood square and his jaw tight. No emotion could be seen past his silvery-blue eyes as he looked upon the five who governed their clan.

The first to speak was an older man who looked well into his eighties and wore a heavy feather cloak. "Hiroto of the Swan tribe… you bring before us an outsider from the world that which we broke away from. Why is this?"

"My daughter, Aoi, found him unconscious in the creek that runs through our lands, Elder of the Washi tribe," Hiroto told him, his voice level and calm. "He had been found heavily wounded and so close to death she thought him among his ancestors at first."

Another older gentleman wearing soft earth colors and long necklace made of snake fangs spoke up, his eyes shut from age. "Ah.. little Aoi. How is she doing these days? I'd love for her to visit me-"

"Quiet you old fool. Can't you see we're in a meeting to discuss more important matters!?" An older woman whose long grey hair showed signs of being beautiful in her youth spoke harshly beside the snake elder, the long skirt she wore bearing the symbol of a horse as the man beside her meekly apologized and the elder on her other side cleared his throat.

"Does the stranger have any words to speak during this council? I'd like to hear."

All eyes fixed on the silver-haired ninja as he sat straight and began to speak. "Honored Council," Kakashi said, his tone soft and respectful from years of practice talking with his own village's council, "I have heard from Aoi why you would prefer to live without anyone from the outside world knowing of your existence… and I completely understand. Many clans within my own village in the past have come to us to flee from wars and strife in other lands; the wife of my teacher came from a land that is now no more because of war. I do not intend to bring war to your lands, and I would like to prevent war from coming as much as I possibly can… I have no wish to force suffering upon anyone." He looked at each of the Council members for a few seconds, then, his exposed eye closing, he said, "Even if that means that I must stay here, isolated from everyone I ever knew, for the rest of my life. I have no family to return to, only comrades."

After hearing all what he had to say, Kakashi watched as they talked amongst themselves and couldn't help but wonder what fate had in store for him. Everything he had said was true, just like Aoi had recommended him to say, since telling the truth was his best option of hoping to make it home.

Kakashi's musings were interrupted by a comforting hand placed on his shoulder, turning his head to see Hiroto who gave an encouraging smile as the council seemed to come to an agreement.

"Kakashi Hatake of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, we have come to our final agreement that we shall let you leave our village to return to your home. However, this must be so if a party selected by us leaves with you to speak with your leader."

Kakashi lowered his head in respect. "I accept your terms," Kakashi said, bowing his head to them as he closed his exposed eye.

0o0o0o0(_TIME SKIP_)0o0o0o0

Three weeks after the Council meeting, Kakashi was finally recovered enough to travel as they rode by horse to the village gates of the Hidden Leaf. The teenager was met with many disbelieving stares as many had thought he had died while he and his party was led to the Hokage Building.

As the accompanying shinobi knocked on the door on the top level, a voice Kakashi knew well on the other side allowed them to enter where they were greeted by the sight of a relatively young man in his early twenties with golden blonde hair and sharp blue eyes. Those same blue eyes widened in shock and surprise when he saw the silver-haired teenager.

"Kakashi?! You… The last report I had heard about you said that you had died in battle!" the man said, standing from his seat at his desk. "How…"

"Lord Fourth, I did not die in the battle… but I may have perished afterwards if it weren't for these people, Aoi and Takeshi especially," Kakashi said, motioning to the group of ten people behind him. The Council of Elders had chosen the five leaders of each tribe of their clan, as well as a warrior from each, and Aoi had been sent because she had been the one who had found Kakashi and taken care of him for most of his stay in their village. "However, they had allowed me to return with a few conditions…"

At this, the blonde's eyebrow furrowed in hesitation. "And what were those conditions?" the Hokage asked, looking around at the ten strangers, and he saw the white-haired man step forwards.

"Our Elders wish for us to write up a treaty between our clan and your Village as a whole," he said, and blue eyes widened in surprise. "We do not wish to be in your war, nor do we wish to be your enemies. We wish only to live our lives in peace, without the threat that others will come hunt us down."

"That's all?" he asked, and the white-haired man nodded, his eyes closing. "And what are your names, if I may ask? I know our own council is going to have a field day with this..."

"I am Hiroto Hakucho, of the Hakucho tribe of the Kaiju Clan," the man with white hair said, looking at him again. Motioning to a white-haired teenage girl at his side, he said, "This is my daughter, Aoi."

"I am Osamu Hebi of the Hebi Tribe," a brown-haired man with amber snake-eyes introduced, folding a hand over his chest in respect. Motioning to a man next to him with dark gray hair and green snake eyes, he said, "And this is Benjiro Hebi, one of my tribe's healing-warriors."

"I am Ayumi Uma of the Uma Tribe," a woman with red-brown hair and gentle brown eyes introduced, bowing slightly with her hands clasped together. Holding a hand out towards a young man with black hair and ice-blue eyes that stood next to her, she continued, "And this is Makoto Uma, one of my best scouts."

A man with tawny brown hair and sharp yellow eyes spoke next, "I am Chieko Washi of the Washi Tribe." He motioned towards a young woman with black hair and golden eyes next to him, "And this is Kasuke Washi, one of my best scouts and fighters."

Finally, a larger man with black-streaked orange hair and bright amber eyes said, "And I am Katsuo Tora of the Tora tribe, and this is Takeshi Tora, one of my most promising young warriors." The one he had motioned to was the young man with brown-streaked black hair and fiery amber eyes that stood next to him with a large, toothy grin.

"It's nice to meet each and every one of you. And Aoi-san, thank you for saving Kakashi's life; I know my wife would be saddened to not see him at our dinner table every now and then…" Minato said, wincing at how upset she had been when they had initially thought Kakashi had been dead.

"It was not just myself, Great Hokage…" the white-haired teen said softly, smiling. "Takeshi helped as well; another Shinobi had presented himself when I found him and had been intent on killing Kakashi-san, and Takeshi assisted me in protecting him."

Minato's brows furrowed again at this, but his smile remained on his face at being called 'great'... his wife could go on all day how much of a dunderhead he was and no one wanted to argue with her should she get a hold of her knife set…

"You bet I helped carry Kakashi's hide back with us! I got a pretty nice weapon out of it too," Takeshi said, bringing out the sword he had claimed from the Shinobi's corpse when they went to bury him, "I had to fight the others for it, though."

"Which didn't seem to bother you, Takeshi…" Aoi commented, smiling knowingly at her long time friend and brother-figure as he rubbed the back of his head.

Their playful banter put a genuine smile on Minato's face, seeing them act like a family despite being on a diplomatic mission to establish ties with his Village; if he hadn't known better, he could mistake them for a few of his closest friends. But the sword _did_ strike a chord in the shinobi, recognizing it as the style of weapon ninja of the Hidden Stone used. Knowing this, he would probably have to order a look out for any Stone ninja looking to avenge their fallen comrade.

Stone ninja didn't have the best reputation of being the nicest guys, being able to hold a grudge for _generations_.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Before the council was called, Minato dismissed Kakashi since he didn't have to be present during the meeting and still needed to be seen by a doctor at their hospital, so both he and Aoi were allowed to leave since the teenage girl was enthusiastic to see more of the Hidden Leaf.

"... and I'm simply asking why we should make a treaty with a people we didn't know existed until recently." Minato heard the voice of an older woman say, his eyes following it to one of the three members of the council. Koharu Utatane, a woman in her late sixties, was possibly the most pessimistic woman he had ever met; she always had something negative to say when in concern to something outside her comfort zone. Her partner, who was nodding along with everything she was saying, was Homura Mitokado. His glass was either half-full or half-empty depending on how he wanted to look at it. Which also kinda irritated Minato.

Which brought his attention to the third member of the Council; Danzo Shimura, a man who went by many names and was in charge of the darker side of the Leaf village that also supported the Leaf as its backbone in regards to the deeper pits of security. His appearance was why many referred to him as the 'War Hawk', with many injuries constantly covered in bandages and always walking on a cane; his proof of how much he had sacrificed for his village.

Looking out of the corner of his eye, Minato saw that the two Tora Tribe members were growling softly, tic marks all over their foreheads, and the two Uma Tribe members seemed to be silently seething while glaring _flaming daggers_ at the doors. If looks could kill, the three council members would be over 9,000 feet under.

'_This is going to be a long meeting… Kushina, please save me some of your homemade cooking…_'

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"So, how big is Leaf Village?" Aoi asked Kakashi, her ice-blue eyes wide in wonder as she looked around. They were walking through a more market-oriented part of the village, some of the others looking at Kakashi in shock as they passed by.

"It's rather large…" he told her, nodding to another Shinobi that they passed by, said person staring with wide eyes as he continued walking… and Aoi winced when he walked face-first into a pole.

"Why is everyone staring at us when they see us?" she asked, and the silver-haired teenager looked around, seeing for the first time how those who noticed them were just staring.

"They probably thought I was dead," he said offhandedly, shrugging. "I had gone missing after the last battle, nobody seeing me for nearly a month… It's pretty easy to see why they would think me dead in our line of work."

"Well, at least now they know that you're still here," Aoi said, smiling softly at him. They passed a few more shops, some of them catching Aoi's interest, but she passed them by, knowing that she had no money with her.

"Kakashi!? Is that you, my eternal rival?!" The two slowly turned around to see a young man barreling towards them with a bowl cut hair style, bushy eyebrows… and a bright neon green jumpsuit with blazing orange leg warmers.

"Uh… who's that guy? And why does he seem to know you?" Aoi asked nervously, as she and Kakashi watched him drawing closer at a fast pace. She didn't even notice her friend making a couple of hand signs just seconds before the new person was about to tackle him.

In a puff of smoke, just as the green-clad man's arms closed around where Kakashi was, the silver-haired ninja vanished, replaced with a bright orange cat that _instantly_ started to hiss and yowl and claw at the man's face!

Aoi was startled at the sudden appearance of smoke, looking to her side when she felt Kakashi leading her away by the arm away from the screaming man. "That, Aoi, is Might Guy. I wouldn't pay too much attention to him by the way… he's earned the ire of plenty female ninja over the years…"

"... O-kay…" Aoi said slowly, glancing back before looking at Kakashi again as he flinched at her gaze. "So… where's this doctor you're supposed to be seeing?"

"-And to your left, you'll see the Hokage Mountain!"

"Kakashi."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"... Seriously, why do you prefer _this_ to going to an _actual doctor_?" Aoi asked, as she re-wrapped the bandages around Kakashi's chest. "I mean, _seriously_…"

"Would you believe me if I said I don't want the nurses to have a reason to unmask me?"

"... I've already seen your face, Kakashi…"

"And that just proves how much I trust you more than those fangirls…"

"... I had to take your mask off while you were unconscious to stitch that cut on your face and to repair the mask itself."

"... Still."

"... You're so stubborn…"

Their playful banter went on, not knowing a dark eyed child watched them from behind a tree, his curious gaze on the back of Aoi's head. Kakashi's right eye, however, noticed the boy out of the corner of his right eye.

"Kakashi? What are you looking at?" Aoi asked, turning to look. She caught sight of the little boy, and she smiled, hearts forming in her eyes. "He's so _cu~ute_!"

As the boy was being smothered, unsuccessfully getting away, Kakashi watched with humor as a second dark haired boy appeared also behind the tree and stopped at the sight of his cousin being hugged. "Hey, Shisui-Kun. Sorry about this; Itachi was too cute for Aoi to handle…"

"... I see…" The white-haired woman was unfamiliar to the eight year old, but if Kakashi was comfortable around her, Shisui saw no reason to be stiff around her…. Plus watching his younger cousin get pressed into her chest as a blush dusted his cheeks and reached to his ears was priceless.

"Aoi, why don't you let the poor kid go… I'm pretty sure he's trying to tap out.." Kakashi said dryly, seeing thin arms tapping out like wrestlers during the match when one gave up as Itachi's face was going blue.

"Oh! I am so sorry!" Aoi cried out, letting the child go as he quickly ran behind his cousin, peeking around shyly. "It's just… a bad habit I've always had since I was a kid; every time I see something cute, I want to hug and cuddle it. My father tried breaking the habit, but all he ended up doing was giving away all the rabbits and squirrels I brought home."

"Wait, you did what?" Kakashi asked, a little laugh escaping him, his exposed eye closing in a happy look that Aoi had come to realize meant he was smiling.

"... What? Is it that surprising?" Aoi asked, her head tilted in a cute way as she looked at him curiously; Kakashi's face heating up at the cute action that caused his voice to silence, his lips moving much like a fish until his junior noticed his plight.

"While I know first hand how cute Itachi can be Miss, he's definitely not a rabbit or squirrel… more like a wolf cub who has yet to grow into his claws." Shisui said, earning a small punch from Itachi that actually had some bite to it. Yup, definitely a wolf.

"A wolf?" Aoi said, tilting her head to the other side now, "I've been thinking Kakashi seems a lot like a wolf to me… The way I found him and how he looks reminds me of a story my father used to tell me as a child…"

"A story? What's it about?" Itachi asked curiously, coming from behind his cousin as he walked closer to Aoi as she smiled as his childish curiosity; children his age were her favorite.

"Well it's a story that's been passed down my family for generations about a girl from my village and a wolf she found injured…" And like that, any hesitation Itachi had held about the woman instantly vanished, letting his actions fall back to that of a normal five year old as Kakashi and Shisui listened, not wanting to ruin the moment. "Long ago, a young girl was fetching water from the river when she saw a large wolf in the water, covered in wounds from head to tail. Feeling empathy for the wolf, she brought him back with her and nursed him back to health. Over time, the two became close friends, but the day soon came for the wolf to leave. However, he didn't; instead the wolf transformed into a beautiful man with silver hair like the stars in the moonlight who had descended from the heavens, and told her he had been touched by her kindness that she, a mortal woman, would care for a beast. For her kind deed, he asked her to be his wife." Itachi's eyes were wide with wonder, amazed at the story and wondered why he hadn't heard this story before. "My people say that the Wolf-man and his bride were the first tribal leaders of my clan…"

When Aoi had finished telling the story, Kakashi laid his head on his forearms and sighed. "No matter how many times I hear you tell that story, I never get tired of it."

"But it looks like you put my cousin to sleep…" Shisui said teasingly, eyeing Itachi who had fallen asleep on Aoi's lap. He couldn't remember the last time the younger Uchiha had actually acted his age, but it was nice to see him so relaxed for once. "Looks like I'm gonna have to carry him home so his parents don't have a fit…." Shisui said, turning his back to Itachi so he could carry him on his back. "Well Aoi-San, it was nice to meet you. Later Kakashi!"

"So, Kakashi…" Aoi said, looking over at the silver-haired teenager, "Do you think their meeting is over yet?"

"Knowing Katsuo-San and Ayumi-San…. Who knows… Guess it wouldn't be a bad idea to check though. Minato-sensei- I mean Lord Fourth is pretty good at settling things." Kakashi said as the two walked back to the Hokage Building; both unaware how much their futures were about to change because of this fateful event...


	3. One Remains and Clothes

**ONE REMAINS AND CLOTHES**

"What do you _mean _that someone has to stay!?" Hiroto's voice rang out through the corridor to the meeting room, and Aoi and Kakashi looked at each other in surprise.

"... What do you think is going on, Kakashi?" Aoi asked, her ice-blue eyes wide in surprise as she stared at her friend as Kakashi's hand hesitated on the door-knob.

"Kakashi. Aoi. I know you're there, so please come in." Minato's voice came from the room inside, Kakashi and Aoi finally opening the door and walking inside.

"What's going on?" Aoi asked, her ice-blue eyes looking around at all of the faces in the room. "Father, we could hear you all the way down the corridor…"

"The Council is being stubborn…" Minato said, causing the two teens to look over at him. "They're ruling that the treaty will only be viable if one of your party stays here… indefinitely."

Aoi's eyes widened, but then she looked over at Kakashi, and she smiled, determination flooding into her gaze as she looked at her family.

"I'll stay."

…..

….

…

..

"_WHAT?!_" Hiroto shouted in disbelief, even as the others in the room were staring at the teen in shock.

"Father, you _know_ I've always wanted to see the outside world…" Aoi said, going over and hugging her father, "And I know that this world is still in the middle of a war…" she looked up at him, smiling softly, "But I want to stay here. I was planning to ask you to let me stay anyway… I want to learn more about this world, and I want to meet all these new people that live here."

"Aoi…" Kakashi said softly, staring at his friend in disbelief. He had been expecting to have to say goodbye to the kind teenage woman, but to hear that she wanted to _stay_…

"Aoi, you don't understand-" Hiroto started to say, but Aoi put a finger on his lips, silencing him.

"Father, I've already made up my mind," she said, as she pulled away. Her family was staring at her in shock and disbelief, Takeshi even looking ready to argue with her. "And the things I don't understand, I'll learn. I'm not a little girl anymore, and I'm not as delicate as you think I am, Father… I fought that ninja that wanted to kill Kakashi, remember?" Aoi took a few steps back, closer to the silver-haired teen that had become her friend, "Besides… I'm not ready to say goodbye to him yet… and I don't think I ever will be. He's the first friend I've ever had outside of the clan, and I don't want to let that go. And Father… I know I'm still young… but eventually, the baby bird has to leave the nest, and I feel like I've been in the nest a little too long."

Everyone was still staring at Aoi, Hiroto with tears running down his cheeks as he stared at his daughter. She was smiling, taking another couple of steps back to stand at Kakashi's side, and the young man looked just as shocked as the rest of them.

"Aoi… are… are you sure?" Kakashi asked softly, finally finding his voice again. "I mean… they're your _family_… I'm just a random guy who ended up near your village completely by accident…"

"Kakashi, you're my friend, and you're _hurting _more than I think you realize," she said, smiling at him softly. "You've lost everyone you've ever cared about… And while I want to help you, you can teach me more about the world outside of my village. I'm very much sure of my decision, and I'm going to stick to it."

In that moment, Hiroto saw that his daughter in a whole new light. No longer did he see her as a cygnet, a child… but as a beautiful swan ready to fly. She had seen a world so much larger than the one she had grown up in, and she wanted to make it her own. As he looked at the two of them, he remembered the old story that his parents had told to him, and he in turn had told to his daughter… '_The Wolf-man with hair of silver starlight was grateful for the kindness that the young woman had given to a beast…_'

"... All right…" Hiroto sighed reluctantly, his silvery-blue eyes closing as he lowered his head in acceptance, "I will allow you to stay…" looking up to focus on Kakashi, he said, "Take care of her, please… Kakashi no Okami."

"I will… I promise…" Kakashi said softly, not questioning the new name that the Hakucho Tribe Leader had used in place of his clan name, and the Council smiled, seeing themselves victorious.

The treaty was signed, and after a tearful goodbye between Aoi and her family (everyone had also pretty much threatened to do some pretty painful things to Kakashi if he didn't take care of her as he had promised), the Kaiju Clan representatives left the Village Hidden in the Leaves, while Kakashi took Aoi to his home…

0o0o0(The Next Day)0o0o0

When Kakashi woke up, he was surprised at first to find that he was in his home, in his bed, before the events of the previous day caught up with him. He could smell something good cooking in his little-used kitchen, and he went down there once he was dressed for his day, finding Aoi making breakfast for the two of them. She was wearing her usual white robes, and that was when it struck him that he hadn't seen her bring any other outfits with her…

"Good morning, Kakashi! Hope you don't mind me using your kitchen.. And did you know you're about out of food?"

"... I haven't been here for almost a month…" Kakashi said indignantly, sweat dripping at Aoi's obvious ploy to distract him. Just like his sensei would tell him, he had to look underneath the underneath to see what was truly there. "You're just saying that so you can tour more of the village… this is good." That last bit was in comment to the food Aoi had put on his small two person table, biting into some buttered toast with fried egg on top of it, the taste melting inside his mouth as he washed it down with orange juice.

"I'm glad you like it," Aoi said as she put away the dirtied equipment she used to make their breakfast that morning, hanging the small apron she had found in a forgotten closet on the back of the chair as she sat down to eat. "Father always said I had a talent for cooking with a minimum amount of ingredients…"

"So, Aoi…" Kakashi said slowly, gaining her full attention, "When were you planning on getting some more clothes?" Kakashi's words seemed to catch her mid bite, her pink lips hovering over the meal as her ice-blue eyes looked up at him with a look that said 'you did not just bring that up?'.

"Um…. I don't know, really…. I guess after I got a better idea on where all of the stores were…" Aoi said shyly. She hadn't really thought to bring any clothes with her when she decided to stay with Kakashi in the Leaf Village besides the ones she wore on her back, and even those weren't really made for a lot of outside work.

"Well, I could call up some of the female Shinobi I know to help you out… I'm afraid I don't go clothes shopping that often…" he admitted, rubbing the back of his head as his mind ran through the list of the Kunoichi he did know and had at least a chance of taking his favor from. So far, he wasn't coming up with a lot, and the ones he could were…. Unique. Maybe he could ask around to see who wasn't on a mission right now...

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"So… you're staying with Kakashi right now because of a deal with the Hokage, but you didn't bring with you any extra clothes…" Aoi nodded in confirmation to the purple-haired kunoichi Kakashi had left her with prior to this moment, another younger woman with ink black curly hair and red eyes as they walked down the street.

"That… just about sums it up," the white-haired teen said, smiling a little shyly. "None of us expected this to happen, so I only brought what I'm wearing now."

A large, disturbing snake-like smile stretching across the older teen's face as she ran a hand through her purple hair and let out a whistle. "Wow, you've gotten further with him than any hopeful idiot in our generation… the amount of fangirls he had outnumbered some of the Uchiha's we knew."

Aoi may have come from a isolated village, but she knew what she was referring to, a blush brightening her face as she waved her hands out. "Oh no, Kakashi and I aren't like that! We're just good friends!"

"Anko, leave her alone… can't you see how you're making her uncomfortable?"

"Oh come on Kurenai, cool down! You and I both know that guy is totally _obvious_ to the fairer sex and wouldn't recognized flirting even if she was all over him; I just wanted to tease her a little bit…" Then, slyly, she asked, "Do you know what's under that mask of his, Aoi?"

"... I had to stitch up his face. Of _course_ I do." Both teens stopped in their tracks, eyes fixed on an obvious Aoi. All during their years in school, the biggest mystery among their class was what Kakashi looked like under his mask, or why he wore it. There was even a theory that had gone around by one of the older students (who Kakashi had beaten in a sparring match by the way) that the guy was hiding some kind of disfigurement like buck teeth or large lips. Alas, when Kakashi had graduated early, their chances of ever finding out were diminished.

Until now.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"... _No_." Aoi said firmly, looking at the piece of clothing that Anko wanted her to try on. It was a top that had a very large amount of mesh in it, which was _very_ distasteful to her. "I am _not_ wearing _that_."

"Oh, come on, Aoi! It's cute!" the purple-haired teen said, grinning, but the white-haired girl shook her head firmly.

"No. I don't want to be eye candy for the other Shinobi," she said, even as Kurenai came over with a different kind of outfit. This one resembled her normal robes more, but was shorter, and included a pair of skin-tight black shorts as well. The sleeves were still wide, but not as wide as the ones on her robes, and they were pure white. "_That's_ more like it…"

"I thought you'd like this one; it fits your style better," the raven-haired teen said, smiling, as Aoi took the outfit and went into a dressing room. Then, looking over at the purple-haired girl she said, "I can't believe you tried to get Aoi-san to wear something as distasteful as _that_."

"... but it's _cute_… I thought she'd look great in it…" Anko said with a pout as Kurenai's eyes rolled in her head. Anko's definition of 'cute' was a large venomous snake that could kill forty people with a drop of it's lethal venom with the name of Fluffy with a pink bow.

"Anko, she's not the kind of girl that would be comfortable in your kind of fashion," Kurenai said bluntly, rolling her eyes again, "Didn't you realize that when Kakashi first asked us to take her to get more clothes?"

"Yeah, I know…"

Then, Aoi came back out of the dressing room, wearing the outfit that Kurenai had picked out for her, and smiled shyly.

"Well… how do I look?" she asked, her ice-blue eyes looking from one teen to the other as she waited for their opinions.

The outfit was very reminiscent of her normal robes, but they only came down to just below her knee on the right side, and the left side ended just an inch or two below her hips. The sleeves came to just past her wrists, and were wide enough to hide most of her preferred weapons in them just as she did with her normal robes, and the outfit was pure white, save for the skin-tight shorts that ended just above her knees. She had tied her black headband with her family symbol around her waist, and she was also wearing a pair of black Shinobi shoes with white bandages wrapped around her lower legs. Her snow-white hair was held back from her face by a black headband with white embroidery that resembled the wind and some birds.

"This looks incredible, Aoi!" Kurenai said, walking around the white-haired teen to look at the outfit from all angles. "You really look like a swan!"

"I admit… it doesn't have the usual designs that I wear…" Aoi said softly, brushing her fingertips against the sleeve of her opposite arm, but with a small smile, "But that doesn't mean I can't make some adjustments…"

"We need to get you more than one outfit, you know," Anko said, although she silently admitted that this particular style suited the pale teen. "Is that your headband from your clan?"

"Yes…" Aoi said, looking down at where the black band was tied around her waist, "Well… sort of… it's my tribe symbol…" Looking back at the two other teens, she asked, "What other outfits did you have in mind?"

Anko this time looked around the store as Kurenai and Aoi glanced through the racks of clothes until the teen came back, bearing a soft white-beige shirt with dark-grey pants and a light blue skirt that matched Aoi's eyes. A pair of short black heels were also there, tucked away in the crook of Anko's arm. "I know I said earlier you would've look cute in that other outfit, but this one totally says 'you'."

"Oh wow! I love it!" Aoi said, accepting the clothing, and she went back into the dressing room, coming back out a few minutes later wearing the second outfit. With a small chuckle as they walked to the check out line with her clothes, she said, "It's kinda weird not having long sleeves like I'm used to…"

"I know you'll get used to it eventually; it takes me a while to get used to a new wardrobe, especially ninja gear from winter to summer months... " Anko mused, taking one of the bags from Aoi as the three girls giggled down the street, all feeling a little closer after spending time together.

When they reached the building where Kakashi's apartment was located, Kurenai and Anko waved goodbye to their new friend, Anko declaring the next time they met, they should eat red bean paste with buns at the new restaurant that recently opened.

"Kakashi? I'm back!" Aoi called out, as she entered the quiet apartment, wondering if he was even _home_ at that time since all the lights were off… "Are you her- Ouch!" What the? Slowly reaching for some sign of a light switch, Aoi's trembling hand flipped on the lights to see what she had tripped on. "KAKASHI?! What are you doing on the floor!?"

"Hm?" His voice was slow from having been sleeping, his eyes fluttering open as he adjusted to the light. "Oh, hey Aoi. I was reading this book and then I got sleepy, so I turned off the lights… You have fun?"

"... Why were you on the floor though? Why not just lay down on the couch?" Aoi asked, her ice-blue eyes filled with confusion, even as she knelt down to help drag him to his feet.

"Ah, I…. it's sort've a habit I've had since I was a kid…. And the floors are comfortable enough to sleep on, so…. Yeah." Kakashi's eyes were honest enough to her, not trying to come up with a story to deceive her, causing her to sigh in relief.

"Kakashi… you've got to be the strangest person I've ever met….. Wait, no scratch that, it's your friend Guy who's the strangest… but you come in a close second…" Aoi sighed, finally pulling him to his feet, "Come on, you should probably go to sleep in an actual _bed_. Wasn't it more comfortable in a bed when you were staying in my village?"

"... Yeah… you're right…" he sighed, still half-asleep as she took him to his bedroom, and it was only right after she had gotten him situated in his bed that he noticed that she wasn't wearing her robes… instead, she was wearing an off-white t-shirt, an ice-blue skirt, and some black knee-length leggings and short black heels. "When did you…"

"Blame Anko," she giggled, smiling at his confusion. Then, as she left the room, she said, "I'll go see what I can do for lunch… sleep well, Okami…"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

A few hours later, Aoi was surprised to hear someone coming in through a window, and she took a kunai off of where she had left her spare clothes and weapons, sneaking over to the doorway to the room that she heard the sound coming from. It was a tall man in a black cloak and wearing a white and black bear mask, someone that Aoi was not sure if he could be trusted.

However, he seemed to notice her.

In an instant, she was caught in a headlock, her own kunai held close to her face, yet glared defiantly up at the man.

"Who are you? Why are you in Kakashi's apartment?" he asked her in a deep voice, and she glanced at the blade before looking back up at him.

"My name is Aoi Hakucho; Kakashi is letting me stay with him until I can find a place of my own." The dark clothed ninja seemed to know her name, his eyes narrowing in recognition. "Now, would you mind moving that kunai away from my neck, Shinobi?" she asked, and he seemed to hesitate before moving the blade a few inches away from her, her hand rubbing where the kunai's cold touch had been against her skin. "Thanks…"

"Don't thank me just yet, kid," The ninja's voice bit back, as sharp as the kunai he had threatened her with not too long ago. "You're still a stranger to me, even if the Hokage has allowed you to stay in our village…Though something has been bothering me..."

"And that would be…?"

"... Is it true you saved Hatake's life when he was on a mission? That's the story that's been going around, but you can never really tell what's true when you're talking about the Copycat…"

"...I had found Kakashi unconscious in the creek near my village, so I took care of him, fending off an attacker in the process, convincing my father to let him stay until he is healed, and now I must be allied with this village in order to keep the treaty forged between my clan and this village intact. I am allowed to visit every now and then, but I am ultimately now a citizen of the Village Hidden in the Leaves." Aoi told him, summarizing what had happened between the battle and their current situation, and she even moved the collar of her shirt aside to show the still-healing scar across her right shoulder. "Since Kakashi is the only one I really know here, my father made him promise to make sure I'll be as safe as possible. That is why I am here, and that is why I seem like a complete stranger. My clan had been hunted to near extinction in some kind of conflict long ago, so we've been trying to stay under the radar, so to speak, as long as possible. Also, since you seem to know Kakashi pretty well, I have no reason to lie to you… um… what's your name?"

"... Ibiki Morino….. and nice scar by the way. I've got a few myself." Ibiki said, removing his bandana and mask to show the snow-haired woman a layer of different scars and burns covering his shaved head.

"... Quite impressive," she said, bowing respectfully to him. Straightening, she asked, "Did you come here to see Kakashi no Okami?"

Aoi immediately stiffened when she realized she called Kakashi by his nickname among her people in front of someone else, blushing heavily when Ibiki let out a deep laugh.

"Haha! With those nin-ken of his, Kakashi did seem a lot like a canine to me… that and he's absolutely terrified of cats! Hahahaha!"

"... It's… actually a name I started calling him when I first found him…" she said, still blushing, "The way I found him and how he looks reminded me of a story my father used to tell me…"

Ibiki continued to listen as Aoi stuttered through her words in embarrassment, laughing good heartedly as he ruffled her unique white hair. The way she spoke and her demeanor made the older teen see her as a little sister he never had; the ruffling of her hair was a habit he did when his younger brother would do something cute since it annoyed him. "Well, since Kakashi isn't here right now, I'll get out of your hair and come by later."

"Actually… he _is_ here… I was just making lunch, and it's ready, so I should probably go wake him up…" Aoi said, smoothing her hair back down, then said, "You could stay to join us for lunch, if you want, Ibiki…"

"Don't bother waking me up since I'm awake already…. Man you two talk really loud…" Aoi and Ibiki both turned at the voice, seeing Kakashi bleary eyed in the doorway as he rubbed his stomach when it growled in hunger. "Man, just smelling that food is making me hungry…"

"So, Ibiki, want to join us for lunch?" Aoi asked, now setting the food out on the table, "I accidently made a little extra…"

Seeing her wide eyes made Ibiki want to stay, also smelling the delicious food, but he had only planned on staying for a bit to see if Kakashi had truly come back and leave for the T&I building where his mentor would teach him more. "I'd love to stay and eat with you both, but Akane-San is going to have my hide if I'm late again. Maybe next time."

"Then here, take some with you," Aoi said, wrapping some of the extra food up into a bundle for him to take along as a packed lunch. "It wouldn't be fun to work on an empty stomach." Watching Ibiki give a mock salute in gratitude, leaving from the window he had come from.

"What is it with you ninja and jumping out of windows instead of using the door like a normal human being?"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0 EXTRA SCENE! 0o0o0o0o0o0o0

When Ibiki finally got to the Anbu headquarters, he immediately went to meet up with his mentor and teacher in the Torture and Interrogation division, Akane Akabane, the woman who was teaching him interrogation techniques; the packed lunch from that nice young lady Aoi carried in his right hand, still warm. As he rounded a corner, he was met with a slap to the back of the head by a woman in her mid fifties with greying-brown hair and reddish-brown eyes.

"About time you showed up, you ungrateful brat…" Ah Akane-San. Life in T&I wouldn't be the same without the older woman's gravelly voice caused by years of smoking echoing in the dark halls, calling him a brat or yelling at some other low level smootch for failing to make her favorite tea after a successful interrogation session. When he had started his apprenticeship with them at the tender age of eleven, seven years ago now, he heard that Akane had been one of the first women to join T&I, and had been its top member since the day she had joined. "You gonna tell me the name of your little girlfriend you got that lunch from, or am I gonna have to ring it out of you?" Akane asked, eyeing the lunch in his hand that was covered by a very feminine colored cloth.

"She's not _my_ girl," Ibiki said, smiling. "She's that girl that Kakashi brought back with him after his last mission. I went to see if the rumors were true, and they offered for me to stay for lunch. When Aoi found I had to come here, she gave me some of the food from their lunch for my own."

"So that whole story was true?" Ibiki nodded to his teacher's question, the woman looking stumped before letting out a loud cackling laugh, quickly stopping to cough as she took out her favorite brand of death sticks, taking a deep puff when she managed to light it. "Good for him. That brat deserves some happiness after all the shtick he's been through…"

After a long pause silenced the small dark room, a grin that would've made the cheshire cat green with envy or hide in fear stretched across his face. "Wanna know what she called him?"

The look in the older woman's navy blue eyes took on a deadly curious gleam to them as the two members of T&I spent the rest of the night gossiping like old housewives...


	4. Training

**TRAINING**

Aoi's training started two days after she met Ibiki; Kakashi saying something about since she hadn't gone through formal Shinobi training like the rest of them, he would have to show her the ropes himself… which is why she was currently panting, hands on her knees, as she and Kakashi stood on one of the training grounds belonging to the Anbu forces. She had been given permission to be trained there since Kakashi still had his duties to attend to. To her utter frustration, the silver-haired teen didn't even look winded as Kakashi worked with her on her Taijutsu, or basic combat skills in fighting. Needless to say…. It was going as good as it could be.

"How… are you… so… fast…?!" she panted, looking up at him through her snow-white hair that had fallen in front of her face even though she had tied it up in a high ponytail before. Her light green shirt and brown pants she had been wearing during their 'training to get her in shape' was covered in dirt and sweat.

"I've been training as a Shinobi since I was… two? Three? Honestly, I don't remember… maybe I was four…" Kakashi mused, looking up into the sky as he tapped his covered chin in thought. Looking back at her, he said, "Anyway, I became a Jounin when I was twelve, and I joined Anbu soon after that. You just don't have the stamina built up for this yet, but you'll get there."

The two soon after took a break when Aoi started not feeling her limbs in exhaustion, her body light like she was about to pass out and Kakashi, not wanting her to collapse from that exhaustion, agreed to stop for today.

"Uhg… I can't feel my toes….." she moaned, lying flat on her back as she looked up into the sky.

"Like I said, you'll get the hang of it eventually," Kakashi chuckled, unwrapping the lunch Aoi had packed for the two of them. Then, one of the Anbu appeared to them, going to talk with Kakashi.

"Anbu Inu, Lord Hokage has called for you." Said the Anbu, his face hidden by a Hawk mask.

"What does he want this time…?" The Anbu hesitated, head turned towards Aoi who was blissfully unaware of what was going on as she ate her food. "She is under my protection, Hawk… And she's not a threat." His words still didn't seem to satisfy the Anbu, causing Kakashi to sigh in frustration. "Fine; don't tell me. I'll find out from the Hokage."

When she finally noticed that Kakashi was leaving, Aoi asked, "Wait, what about training?"

"You're tired, Aoi… go back to the apartment and get some rest. If it's another mission, I'll send a message to let you know." Kakashi told her, and she sighed, but nodded.

"Ok… And if you're back by tonight, I'll have dinner ready," she said, dragging herself to her feet. Then, to her surprise, Kakashi turned to the Anbu.

"Can you make sure she gets back to my apartment safely?" he asked him, and Hawk nodded, going over to Aoi to play bodyguard for a little bit.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

As Kakashi walked up the steps to his apartment, changed out of his Anbu attire, he mentally groaned at how sore his entire body felt, as well as his mind. Even though he had told Aoi during training earlier that she would get used to it, Kakashi had yet to do the same. Every time he came back from a mission, he always did in a state of mental fatigue that wore him down to the bone.

Just because he had been a ninja for a very long time didn't mean he would ever get used to it, and he knew several other shinobi who would say the same exact thing.

As he entered the apartment, he could smell something good coming from the kitchen, as well as hear Aoi singing softly.

"_... And the Wolf said, 'Will you let me care for you?' He howled underneath the moon, and asked, 'Shall I care for you?' The young maiden smiled, her heart all aglow, as she looked into his eyes…_" Kakashi followed the sound of her melodic voice, remembering her singing this once before, back in her village, and it was the song version of the story she had told him. "_So they lived together as one, dancing underneath the moon… and to all who search for their love so true… So shall he care for you…_"

"You should sing that song more often, Aoi," Kakashi said softly, as she finished her song. She turned quickly to face him, a gentle and happy smile on her face, as she hurried over and gave him a quick hug.

"Welcome home, Okami!" she said, hurrying back to take the dinner off of the stove. Hawk was sitting nearby, keeping Aoi in his line of sight, and he nodded at his Captain when he looked over at him. "Hawk here helped me buy groceries, and I made dinner!"

"It smells delicious, Aoi," Kakashi said, tiredly sitting down at the table while his stomach growled in hunger as the Anbu left. The two of them were soon eating, and the teenage girl was chatting about her day and how she looked forward to training again soon.

"... And Hawk even told me that if I kept training at the pace I've been going, I might be able to join Anbu at some point!" she said, as she picked up her now-empty plate to wash it in the sink. "I have some basic training knowledge from when Takeshi and I used to fight as children, so I think I actually had an easier time with the training than I would without it, and the Tora also taught me how to use weapons, mostly for self-defense, so I've got a good start there…"

Kakashi smiled softly at her enthusiasm, her gentle, yet excited, voice chasing away some of the ever-present grief that continually weighed him down every moment of every day. He had never realized that having another person to just talk to you or just talk in general would be able to chase away the darkness like this…


	5. Aftermath of a Fox

**AFTERMATH OF A FOX**

Never in Aoi's fifteen years had she ever witnessed such a horrible and terrifying sight; her ice-blue eyes washing over the tumbled buildings and dead bodies covered in white sheets on the roads. "Kakashi?! Kakashi, where are you?!" Aoi called out, as she stumbled through the rubble of a building that had been destroyed in the catastrophe. "Talk to me! KAKASHI!"

A hand covered her eyes, another holding her still as a voice whispered into her ear. "I'm right here, Aoi… calm down." Kakashi's familiar voice calmed the snow-haired woman, but her fear of the destruction around her did not lessen.

Only three days ago, on October tenth, a peaceful walk with Kakashi and the others she had come to know was suddenly interrupted as violent winds and flying debris surrounded her, the air filled with cried of surprise and anguish. In the distance, as Kakashi ushered her to a safe corner where the wind did not rip at her face and clothing, a gargantuan beast with nine looming tails blocked the soft light of the full moon; even with her limited knowledge of such monsters, Aoi knew this to be the Kyuubi no Kitsune. The Nine-tailed Fox.

"Kakashi…" Aoi whispered, turning in his arms to hug him, burying her face in his chest as she cried softly, "Why? Why did this happen?"

"I don't know, Aoi…. I don't know…"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

That evening was heavy with sorrow, everyone brought together to mourn for the lives lost in the attack and for the souls they had yet to find in the wreckage. Among the dead was their Fourth Hokage, who had given his life to seal away the Nine-tails since such beasts were impossible to actually kill, their bodies essentially being made of Chakra itself. The container, as Aoi had heard from hushed whispers, was the body of an infant recently born before the horror. However, unlike pretty much everyone else in the village, she did not hold any anger towards the child, knowing that he never asked for this burden.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The next few weeks were spent in earnest by the villagers to regain what sense of safety they had lost before, but before long a year had passed, marking a whole year Aoi had lived in the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

Her friend, however, was still deep in his mourning, grieving over losing the last of his Genin team… the man who had taught him so much. "Kakashi…" Aoi said, hugging her close friend as he sat in his room, still mourning his Sensei, "I know it's hard for you… I didn't know him for very long, but I know he was a good person… He wouldn't want you to waste away like this…"

"He's gone…" he whispered hoarsely, trying to blink away his tears, "I… I'm the only one left…"

"But you're not alone…" Aoi said softly, rubbing soothing circles into his back as he shook from his silent crying, "You've got me…. and the others are worried about you as well… Please, Kakashi, don't let this destroy you… there are too many people who care about you…"

He didn't respond, still crying, and Aoi took in a deep breath, letting it out in a soft sigh as she tried to work up the courage to tell him something she'd been wanting to say for a few months now… She brought one hand up to gently pet his hair, smoothing it back from his face, as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Kakashi… I love you… and I don't want to lose you…" she told him, feeling him go suddenly very still in her embrace, and when she looked up, he was looking at her with tears in his visible eye. Then, he had his own arms wrapped around her, burying his face in her shoulder as he sobbed quietly, and she continued to gently pet his hair, as he seemed to cling to her like she was his lifeline.

"I… I love… you too… Aoi…" he said between his sobs, and she felt her heart swell with joy, pressing a kiss to the top of his head as she held him, letting him cry. "But… what if… I lose you… just like… the… the others…?"

"I won't let that happen, Kakashi…" she said, "I swear to you, Kakashi Hatake, that as long as the flame of Shinobi burns, I. Will. Never. Leave. You. And that's a promise of a lifetime, that even if I DO die, I will find you again in another life…"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Just a few days later, the two of them went on their first official date. Kakashi had arranged for the two of them to spend the night out by the lake, and he had brought along a tent for two and plenty of supplies. He had also gotten some chocolates, as well as a necklace that he wanted to give her… it had been custom-made for him, and he hoped she liked it.

"Kashi, this is simply beautiful…" Aoi said, looking around at the forest as they walked to the lake. She was wearing her white Shinobi outfit, the one with the black leggings and the short robe with the wide sleeves. She had personally embroidered her family crest on both of the sleeves, and she wore her new Leaf Village Shinobi headband to hold her hair back, her black family headband tied around her waist. "How much farther until we reach the lake?"

"Not much longer," he said, smiling behind his mask. For the first time in what felt like ages, he felt truly happy, just spending time alone with the one he loved most. Ever since they had admitted their love to each other just a few days ago, he'd been planning this night together so that they could just be together… Without anyone else interrupting them.

When they reached the lake, it was nearly sunset, the sky already turning a bit pink, and the two of them soon had their tent set up, now just sitting by the lake to watch the sun go down.

"This is so beautiful…" Aoi said softly in wonder, leaning close to Kakashi to rest her head on his shoulder while she watched the sun paint the sky in vivid colors. "Thank you for bringing me here, Okami…"

"Anything for you…" he told her, turning his head to kiss the top of hers. He had pulled down his mask, since nobody else was around, and he trusted her completely. "My Utsukushi Tori…"

As the sun slowly sank below the horizon, the stars beginning to come out, Kakashi pulled out the small box that contained his present for his girlfriend, who looked over at him when she sensed his movement.

"Aoi… I… I got this for you…" he said, opening the box and showing her the necklace, smiling at her gasp of surprise.

The necklace had a beautiful gold chain, with a pendant that Kakashi had asked the craftsman to make just for this. The pendant had a black metal swan that was exactly the same as Aoi's family symbol, and it was looking at a silver wolf that sat right in front of it, the wolf's tail wrapping around the two of them, and a ruby carved in the shape of a heart rested between them, glittering in the fading sunlight.

"Oh, Kashi…" the snow-haired teen whispered, reaching out and brushing her fingertips across the metal surface of the pendant gently in awe, "This is gorgeous… you… you got it for me?"

"Yes… I wanted you to have something to represent us…" he told her, bringing the necklace out of its box. He brushed her hair back, clasping the golden chain around her neck, and then cupped her cheek in one hand, staring lovingly into her eyes. "I love you… And there's nothing that will change that…"

They sat together in a comfortable silence then, looking up at the sky as the stars started to come out, Aoi leaning against Kakashi as the two of them smiled. Then, softly, Aoi started to sing, as her ice-blue eyes found familiar shapes in the stars that her father taught her.

"_The Hakucho swan flies with the Washi eagle… the Tora tiger runs with the horse of Uma… the Hebi snake wraps around them all in healing… and the Okami wolf watches over them all…_" she sang softly, remembering the song that her father had taught her in correspondence with the constellations that her clan had named over the generations. The swan and the eagle in the stars were flying above where the tiger and the horse were running, and the form of a serpent was coiled around the group… and at the center… A wolf was howling silently in the night, completing the picture. "_This is our history, this is our way… our guardians watch over through the night to the day…_"

Kakashi looked at Aoi curiously, a soft smile on his face, and asked, "What song is that?"

"It's my clan's Star Song," she told him, her eyes still watching the stars, "Long ago, when the five tribes first settled in the Hidden Valley of Mist, they named these constellations in the sky…" she pulled out a blank scroll and a pen and ink, starting to draw out the shapes she had been taught to recognize in the sky, "Each one was named after an animal that represented a part of our clan history… The tiger represents the Tora tribe and their connection to their summoning animal, the Tiger. Legend tells that the tribe first created their summoning contract when the first of the Tora Tribe was saved by a tiger in an ambush, and that tiger had the ability to talk to humans. They forged their contract, and ever since then, the descendants of that first Tora leader and the tiger who saved him had a contract that the Tora tribe could summon those tigers, and the tigers would assist them if needed."

Kakashi watched as she drew the first part of the group constellation, and saw that it was the tiger, and he looked up at the sky again to try to find it. After about a minute, he saw the tiger that Aoi had talked about, and smiled. "What's the next part of the constellation?"

"The Tora contract was the first," she said, now starting on another part of the constellation. "Next came the Uma Horse, a horse that could communicate with people that rescued a young woman who had been kidnapped by an enemy Shinobi," the snow-haired teen told him, the constellation she was drawing taking the form of a galloping horse. "The young woman was the first of the Uma Tribe, and when the horse brought her back to her family, the two forged their Summoning Contract, and just as with the Tora Tribe, the descendants of woman and horse alike keep that contract to this very day. The Uma Horse was the second of the Summoning Animals of our part of the clan."

Kakashi found the horse quicker, having the tiger to use as a reference point as he compared the drawing to the night sky above them.

"Then, there was the Hakucho Swan," Aoi said, drawing his attention back to her. She was drawing out a constellation that was flying above where the tiger was, as she said, "The Hakucho Swan was found by the first Hakucho, a young woman with hair like snow. The Hakucho Swan was injured, a wing broken, but he was able to communicate his pain to the young woman, who brought him back to her family camp and cared for him. Then, when the camp was ambushed, the Hakucho Swan defended his friend, and then the two of them forged their Summoning Contract. Their descendants have the same link as those of the Tora and the Uma."

"Huh… and here I made my contract with the dogs because I found the scroll on a shelf in Sensei's office… He asked me to help clean up anything Lord Third had left behind, so when I found it I was… curious."

Aoi smiled at this, already starting on the next part of the constellation. "That's a very… toned-down way to get a summoning contract… Are you telling me you basically stole it?"

"No, when Sensei saw what I had, he said that I could make a contract with the dogs if I wanted to… Did you know that he held a contract with the Toads? His sensei was the one before him to hold the contract."

"Anyway…" Aoi said, returning her attention to the constellations, "The next Summons was between a young man and and the Washi Eagle. The young man had been trapped in a cave in a storm, trying to find shelter from a particularly bad storm, and he heard the eagle crying out in pain just outside. He brought the Eagle in with him, and bound his injured wing, but when he was discovered by a group of hunters, the Eagle helped him fight them off, forging a friendship of shared pain and strife. When the young man returned to his clan camp with the Washi Eagle, he became the first Washi Tribe member, as they forged their Summoning Contract between the two of them…"

"The kind of relationship your clan has to those summons are a lot more than I could say some people have with their own summons; Lord Third holds a contract with the monkey's, and from what I've seen of that, they respect each other a lot."

"That's a good relationship," Aoi said, as she directed Kakashi to find the Washi Eagle in the sky where it flew above the Uma Horse. Then, she started on something that seemed to circle around them all, as she said, "Shortly after the four tribes arrived in the Hidden Valley of Mist, the place that became their sanctuary, and after the Wolf took up a role of the leader of the clan as a whole, a large, cursed snake attacked the clan, and the Wolf had to fight the serpent off so his family could be safe, soon using a special Chakra technique to purify the creature, which had been badly injured. Strangely enough, this purification turned the snake's poison into a healing compound, and a young boy from the Uma Tribe cared for it while it was recovering. The two of them respected each other for their healing abilities, and that soon turned into a friendship, the two of them forging their Summoning Contract and creating the Hebi Tribe. But a strange side effect of the contract, one that had been similarly seen in the other tribes, was that the young man took on a vaguely snake-like appearance, especially in his eyes."

"I was wondering about that… There was once a shinobi in our village that also looked like a snake by the name of Orochimaru, and he was brilliant. He was one of Lord Third's students before he became Hokage and was later a part of a trio called the Sannin with Tsunade the Slug Queen and Jiraiya the Toad Sage…" There was more he wanted to tell her of the monstrous man, but today was not worth spoiling with tales of _him_...

Aoi didn't comment on how he seemed to be keeping something from her, understanding that he didn't want to ruin the moment, and simply continued to tell the last part of the story of the constellation. "Finally, the Wolf, the one who brought the family together, is at the center. He was the pillar for our village, keeping us all in harmony, and brought stability to our clan. As it was when he lived, he is at the center of the clan, keeping us all together in life and in death. He howls a warning to us when in danger, and watches over us when the skies are dark and alit with stars…" She finished the drawing she had done on the formerly-blank scroll, and it showed the entire constellation that had been in her song. The snake was coiled around the four other tribes, and the wolf was at the center, head tilted up as it silently howled into the night.

As the two settled down for the night, preparing the tent, Kakashi looked briefly at Aoi until he looked down again at his work, thinking that when they returned he'd ask her if they could find a place in his apartment to hang the drawing of her clan's five-six tribal animals. After all… if it was going to be their home, it would make sense to have some sense of her there too….


	6. Interrupted Rudely

**INTERRUPTED RUDELY **

Kakashi was walking down the street with Aoi, hand in hand, when they came across some of Kakashi's friends. At first the couple ignored them, wanting only to be together without anyone else interrupting them, but alas, it was not to be so…

"Kakashi, my eternal rival!" Was the only warning the couple got before a whopping excited, green spandex wearing Might Guy hugged them from behind, successfully picking both up off the ground several inches before putting them down. "It's been so long, Kakashi!"

"Is he _always_ like this?" Aoi asked her boyfriend quietly out of the corner of her mouth, her eyes glancing over at the green-clad Shinobi warily, ready to dash away should he attempt to pick the two of them up again.

"Unfortunately, yes…." A small tick mark made itself seen on his forehead, the ninja about ready to send his comrade and closest thing to a friend flying; one did not simply interrupt the one time Kakashi had any free time to spend with his recent girlfriend and not expect to get hit… or have a dozen nin-ken set on him with the intent to bite/maim/etc. "So Guy….. What do you want?"

"Is it so unbelievable that I simply wanted to see my rival!? I have heard through the grapevine since your miraculous return that you are allowing the one who saved you to rent out in your apartment- Oh, is this she?! Nice to meet you! My name is Might Guy and-"

"Just shut up already, ok?" Aoi asked, her irritation hidden behind a sweet smile like how her aunt had shown her since her time with Kakashi had been so rudely interrupted. Kurenai and Anko, who had been talking with Guy before he was distracted by the two of them, wisely stayed back, knowing that Aoi didn't get angry very often. "I'll have you know that Kakashi here has been kindly letting me stay at his apartment for free, and the two of us were just on our way to _lunch_ when you _oh so RUDELY_ interrupted us!"

Might Guy could not say anything to this, quietly subdued as the angry starlight-girl glared him down with ice-blue eyes that cut him off from opening his mouth besides gaping like a fish that he oh so loved. Anko whistled at the scene; whoever could shut Guy up with only a glare earned her respect, since many in their early days had tried to do so. But then again, if Aoi and Kakashi were only hanging out as friends, then why was she so mad?...

Oh, wait…

"No way…. Are you two _together?!_" Anko's cry of disbelief turned the heads of those present, knocking Aoi out of her anger at Guy and caused her face to turn immensely red before hiding behind Kakashi in embarrassment. Kurenai and the others slowly started seeing little bits of differences in their friend like how close he was standing over Aoi and the necklace around his neck that matched Aoi's, and how the dark gloom that had always seemed present in his exposed eye had receded slightly.

"Sure am… got a problem with that?" Kakashi's voice was lax, but at the same time protective of the smaller white-haired girl behind him who had cutely taken shelter behind his larger frame when Anko had blatantly asked if they were together, which they were.

A teenage boy around the same age as Kakashi with a cigarette in his mouth held up his hands in surrender, easing the tense situation. "No we don't; we're all a little surprised is all… You've never shown any kind of interest in anyone like this before…"

"Yeah, well, I never liked any of the girls in our class because they were all clingy little fangirls and stuff like that," A snort came from both Anko and Kurenai, who had been far from being a fangirl in their youth, "Except for you two, you're alright," he amended, nodding to the two. "The point is, I didn't want to be with someone who just saw me as Kakashi, the highly skilled warrior. Aoi doesn't see me like that… she sees me as Kakashi, the person that she saved and who let her in when he was hurting so badly." The girls awwed at this as the guys looked at the silver-haired ninja in a new light.

Afterwards, the two groups went their separate ways, with Asuma, Guy, Kurenai and Anko walking through the markets to a quiet park bench. "I… I never knew he felt that way…" the brown-haired boy said softly, not sure how to process this new information.

"I know right… looks like Aoi has changed Kakashi more than anyone could realize…" Anko said, her voice quiet and lost in thought as she remembered the look in their eyes as they looked at each other… "But… maybe it's for the better…"

They were silent again, walking quietly to their respective homes as the twilight sky turned to night and the stars lit their ways.


	7. Jounin Exam

**JOUNIN EXAM **

"Kakashi, why look so nervous?" Aoi asked, as she checked her weapons and gear to make sure they were in top condition. "It's just another exam; you've been training me from sunup to sundown for this."

"I know, I know, it's just…." What they were currently talking about was Aoi's graduation exam to become a fully fledged Jounin, and that alone had Kakashi a little nervous since once she did so, she would be tasked with more dangerous missions where there was always a possibility she could get hurt…that and part of the exam was one big free-for-all amongst thirty or so other Ninja also taking the exam and Kakashi wasn't ready for that.

Aoi could see the changing emotions cross her boyfriend's face like a movie from experience of her three plus years of learning how to read him; he was pretty much an open book to her. "Kakashi, don't worry, I'll be fine… You taught me everything I know, after all."

"...Alright." It took everything in Kakashi to not hug his girlfriend when she gave him one of her bright smiles that he found so cute. Instead, he smiled back at her and told her when she came back with the Jounin vest in hand, they would go out to eat anywhere she wanted.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"I KNEW YOU COULD DO IT, AOI!" How on earth Anko and Might Guy had even known where they were was a mystery Kakashi had not wanted to find out, preferring to watch Aoi have the time of her life with their friends as she wore her new Jounin vest proudly. The test had roughly taken about three hours with so many participants, with all of the little twists, turns, and jumping through metaphorical hoops that Aoi had to do, but she had completed them with a rather high score. At the end, Kakashi had waited patiently for her on the other side of the doors, kinda surprised when she had literally _jumped_ him in an excited, spinning hug… off of the back of a rather large swan. Her cries of joy were well worth it though.

"Ack! Anko….Asuma, I think Anko is drunk…." Coming out of his daze, Kakashi looked to see Anko's face red with liquor as she leaned on Aoi, mumbling incoherent words that only she understood. "Please get her off me…" The smoking teen laughed as he helped pry the drunk teenage girl off of Aoi, who was trying to keep her vest away from the sake bottle in Anko's tight grip.

"So Kakashi, are you proud of your girlfriend?' Kurenai asked, smiling knowingly as her red orbs remained on the sight of Asuma fighting Anko's drunk body to sit upright as Kakashi huffed.

"She would've made Jounin sooner or later…"

"Yeah, but she did so in as little as three years… all because of your tutelage…." she told him, glancing over at him for the briefest moment before looking back at her two other friends. "She's grown with your teachings… She's combined what she learned in her home village with what you've taught her, and it's only made her stronger."

Kakashi couldn't help but smile a little under his mask at this, calming sipping his tea as he listened to the relaxing (i.e background noise) of his friends and Aoi's laughter. If this was what his future had in store for him, he could get used to this… Though he still wished his Sensei and teammates could've been here to enjoy it….


	8. I Do

**I DO**

Aoi couldn't believe it. Never in her wildest dreams did Aoi Hakucho think that at twenty years old, the white-haired Jounin would get married to the love of her life, surrounded by her friends and family.

As she looked down at her left hand, her mind went back to the night her life would change forever for the second time…

_Kakashi had taken her out to a nice restaurant after she had come back from a two-week mission to hunt down a criminal who had been dealing in selling children on the black market, leaving her mentally exhausted and Kakashi to take care of her. Afterwards, they wandered the streets, enjoying the soft lighting of a festival she hadn't been aware of and the sound of children laughing without a care in the world. _

_When they had stopped at a fish-catching game, Kakashi had managed to win her a little white dog plushie when an older woman came up to them. "Oh, you two are absolutely adorable together. How long have you been married?"_

"_Uh, we're not married…"_

"_Really? Could've fooled me… You kids take care." With a wave of her wrinkled hand, she left the couple alone. _

_The fireworks had begun in the distance as Kakashi and Aoi had found a place to watch from a bridge overlooking a sparkling river. "I can't believe that older woman thought we were married…. How funny is that, Kakashi?" Aoi's soft laughter at the older woman's words still echoed in her head as Kakashi didn't look at her. _

"_Would it really be so strange, Aoi?" His words caused her to look at him, the echoing boom of the fireworks filling the air between them. _

"_What do you mean by that?" Both of Kakashi's eyes, one coal black and the other red with three tomoe around the pupil, looked into hers, having forgone his headband when they had been alone, leaving Aoi wondering what was on her boyfriends mind. _

"_Aoi, if I asked you right now if you would marry me, would you say yes?" Words seemed to escape Aoi at that moment, her voice caught in her throat as Kakashi got up from where they sat… and knelt in front of her. "Aoi Hakucho, three years ago when you saved me, the moment I saw you I thought I had died and gone to heaven to have met such a beautiful girl; your beauty having surpassed any other girl I've ever known like a celestial maiden… When you said you wanted to stay in the Hidden Leaf, I felt my heart almost stop… And these past years where you've stayed by my side no matter what has made it clear to me that… I love you, Aoi Hakucho… Will you marry me?" _

_It was by this moment that tears of joy spilled from Aoi's eyes, watching as Kakashi presented a little blue velvet box to her as a smile made its way to her face through the tears. "... I thought you'd never ask…. Yes, I'll marry you!"_

The days that had followed were…. Hectic, what with coming out with their engagement to their closest friends and sending a letter to her family back home to setting everything up for the big day. She had gotten a message back from her village via the one of the Washi Eagles, which had told her that the leaders of each tribe, along with a few others, would be arriving by horseback within the next week or two, and that they would probably need some housing for a while, as they planned to stay for the duration of the wedding and for a few days afterwards.

Then came the day.

"Are you alright, Aoi?" Her father asked her, watching his daughter's face tense up like it did when she was nervous.

"... I'm ok Father, it's just… I wish Mama could've been here to see all of this…" Her father closed his eyes, agreeing with her completely. His deceased wife would've been so happy to see their little girl grow up and get married, wearing the kimono she had worn to their own wedding, but such is life.

As the music began to play, signaling that the wedding had begun, Hiroto walked his daughter down the aisle to the man he had entrusted Aoi to when they had returned the Shinobi to his village. Vows were exchanged after Hiroto had handed his daughter to Kakashi, promising to be there for one another through all walks of life and even in death. Their kiss, much like the first one, was sweet and full of passion as the crowd went wild.

Today marked the beginning of their story together as man and wife. Today marked their life together.


	9. Happy Surprise

**HAPPY SURPRISE**

Four years after their wedding, Aoi had some _very_ special news to give her husband…. once he returned home from his mission, that is.

Aoi had started feeling ill about the day after Kakashi left on his weeks-long mission, throwing up often in the early mornings and a few times later in the evenings, and later begun having severe strange mood swings… one of which caused her to bodily throw Guy through a wall when he wouldn't leave her alone. Everything about it was bizarre.

Finally, during the third week did Aoi go to a doctor to see what was wrong with her. And boy did Aoi get the news of her life…

As she walked home from the hospital, Aoi couldn't help but smile the entire trip home, occasionally putting her hand over her stomach where her little surprise for Kakashi was, lovingly rubbing it.

Opening the door to her home, Aoi was surprised to see Kakashi's shoes already placed neatly in the cubby, meaning her husband had come home earlier than she had expected. "Welcome home, dear. You're back a lot sooner than you said you would be."

"Yeah, we ended up finishing quicker than we thought… and I missed you." Tiny kisses were exchanged as Kakashi hugged her from behind. "I saw on the fridge that you went to the doctors… Is everything ok?" Kakashi had a reason to be worried about his wife; having nursed her back to health when she had a particularly bad case of the flu.

"Everything's just fine, Okami…" Aoi said, smiling up at him, and took a piece of paper out of her pouch to hand to him, "In fact…"

"Well…. What did the doctor say!?" Aoi's smile was a sign of two things: 1) that everything was normal, or 2) everything was just about ready to fall apart at the seams.

"Just take a look for yourself," she said, holding up the piece of paper for him to see, smiling as he took it in his hands and looked from her to the test results back and forth several times. "We're gonna be parents…."

"... I'm…. gonna be a dad…Aoi… I'M GONNA BE A DAD!" Kakashi hugged his wife tightly, spinning her body around the room as both of them laughed in joy at the revelation. And for the third time, Aoi's life at this moment changed once again…

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Since the news of Aoi's condition had gotten out (*cough*Might Guy*cough*), all of their friends and other ninja that Kakashi had never talked to had all congratulated the couple on their happy news. The pregnant Kunoichi was also approached by other women and ninja alike, giving her advice for her aches and pains; sometimes gifts every now and then.

When Aoi reached her seventh month, the Third Hokage had given Kakashi time off from any missions away from the village to spend with his pregnant wife until their child was born.

Which brings us to the couple as they say on the swing on their back porch as they enjoyed the warm rays of the sun as Kakashi had his head near her bloated stomach, listening to their child's heartbeat and feeling tiny limbs press against where his hand rested.

"Kakashi… what should we name the child?" she asked, as she gently petted her husband's hair. "We've only got two more months…" By her side was a small book of baby names she had checked out from the library, and so far she had narrowed it down to names that start with 's' in honor of Kakashi's father, Sakumo.

"If it's a girl… I want to name her Suzuki…" he said, smiling as he felt another little kick under his hand.

"Ok… if it's a boy…. I want his name to be Satoshi." Aoi said firmly, feeling a little moody at the moment as she picked up a stick of mitarashi dango that Anko had hooked her on when they had last eaten out together while Kakashi had been setting up the nursery with some of the guys.

"Then it's agreed," Kakashi said, nuzzling Aoi's stomach just a little. "Suzuki for a girl and Satoshi for a boy…" While he would never say this out loud in front of Aoi, or anyone else for that matter, Kakashi was kinda hoping for a little girl who looked like a mini Aoi and be a daddy's girl, that way he wouldn't have to share with anyone…

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"YOU ARE SO DEAD WHEN THIS IS OVER, KAKASHI HATAKE!" Aoi's screams of pain echoed down the hallway just as several nurses led Aoi into the birthing room as Kakashi winced at her words. He knew she was only saying that because of the immense pain she was currently in, but Aoi was never one to forget a promise.. And that sounded a lot like a promise to him….

"Kakashi, don't worry about the threats," Hiroto said, putting a hand on his son-in-law's shoulder. "Aoi's mother said much of the same thing to me when she was giving birth to Aoi… actually, now that I think about it… she _did_ also threaten me with being neutered…" The Hakucho Leader had come a few days ago, not wanting to miss this occasion.

"Yeah, Kakashi, don't worry about it," Asuma said, calming his friend down who had paled at Hiroto's words. "When this is all over, Aoi won't remember half of what she says when you'll have your baby in her arms… and I know she'll still love you; it's just the pain talking right now."

"And my wife never followed through with any of her threats against me, if it makes you feel better," Hiroto said, amused at Kakashi's reactions. "This is something every father goes through…"

The waiting room was filled with silence as they waited for the baby to arrive. Every now and then, Asuma would go outside to smoke while Anko snacked on a large box of pocky (which she refused to give Guy any even if he pleaded).

Finally, the doors opened, and a tired but happy looking man in doctor's scrubs came out, causing Kakashi to all but jump out of his seat. "Doctor, is she…?"

"Congratulations, Hatake-San… it's a healthy baby boy, and your Aoi-San is just fine." Kakashi's heart leapt into his throat as it beat a million miles an hour, his body taking him to the room where Aoi laid in bed, her weary eyes looking down lovingly at a wiggling blue bundle in her arms.

"Aoi…."

Ice-blue eyes looked up at him, and the most beautiful smile Kakashi had ever seen graced her lips as she held out a hand for him to hold as he pushed up a seat next to the bed, looking into her eyes for permission before taking the bundle in his arms.

The babe was smaller than what Kakashi had expected, and so light that the Copy-nin could probably hold him with one arm, but he was the most wonderful thing Kakashi had ever seen in his life; small wisps of white hair that matched Aoi's own locks peeked out from the blanket as pale hands reached up for him. He couldn't help but tilt his head downwards to bring it closer to his son, and the tiny hands batted at his masked nose, causing him to smile.

"Aoi… can you help me here?" he asked softly, glancing at her with his uncovered eye, "I have my hands full… I can't reach my mask…"

Aoi reached over to lift Kakashi's headband off his eye and lowered the mask where is sat lazily around his neck so their son could properly see his father's face. The result of her actions were immediate, the baby's tiny hands discovering the new territory as Kakashi smiled, tears of joy and happiness falling from his eyes.

"Aoi… thank you…. Thank you…" he said, his voice thick with emotion as the baby in his arms smiled up at him, his tiny little hands exploring his face. He didn't even notice when the others who had sat with him in the waiting room came in, didn't even care if anyone else saw his face at that moment. "Remember what we decided? If… it was a boy…?"

"Yes…" Aoi said, reaching over with one hand to gently stroke their son's white hair, "Satoshi…welcome to world, Musuko..."


	10. Unmasked Before Witnesses

**UNMASKED BEFORE WITNESSES**

Three months had passed since Satoshi Hatake had been born, and Aoi and Kakashi were still getting used to being new parents, but were doing well with their first child.

Today many of Aoi and Kakashi's friends were visiting the Hatake home since their schedules had all given them some time off from missions, so they had all decided to visit the family.

"I still can't believe how much Satoshi has grown sometimes…" Anko said, playing with the baby on the floor as the little Hatake laid on the floor surrounded by his toys, babbling incoherent sounds.

"It's hard to believe for us too…" Kakashi said, as he sat next to where his little boy was playing, a soft smile on his face. "It seems like only yesterday he was born…" Satoshi's little head turned in recognition of Kakashi's voice, kicking his legs as he tried to push himself towards his father until he was picked up by his mother as she sat on the couch next to Kurenai.

"That may be true, but you weren't the one giving birth…" Aoi said, chuckling when Satoshi was making grabbing motions at his father. "Ohhh… do you want your Daddy?" Aoi asked, handing Satoshi into his father's waiting arms, and the baby immediately started to play with his father's mask, headband, and gravity-defying hair. Strangely enough, the baby's hair was beginning to act much the same way as his father's…

"Careful Kakashi… if you're not careful, Satoshi-chan is gonna unmask you…" Asuma chuckled, only laughing harder when Kakashi's expression said that he couldn't care less about his mask for once.

"Oh, don't worry Asuma; Satoshi's already done that once today when Kakashi went to change him this morning… it was the funniest thing I've ever seen!" Aoi said, laughing at the two men in her life as Satoshi continued to play with Kakashi's hair. "And Kashi didn't even care, he just smiled like a doofus!"

"Yeah, I don't really care if Satoshi pulls down my mask," Kakashi said, playfully nuzzling his son's hair, "He's my son, and that means he can pull my mask down as much as he wants for all I care…" And just at that moment… a tiny hand found the edge of his mask.

Satoshi gurgled happily when he pulled the mask down, happy to see at least most of his father's face, even as the others just gaped in shock. Kakashi just smiled as his son patted his hands on his cheeks and mouth, letting him explore the part of his face that the child only saw about half of the time.

Finally, after about a minute of silence, Anko broke down in maniacal laughter as the others still were silent, having finally seen Kakashi's face that he had kept hidden even when they were in the academy. It didn't help their state of shock when Satoshi clumsily pushed his father's headband away from his left eye and promptly curled up under his chin and let out a huge yawn.

"Looks like someone is ready for their nap…" Kakashi said quietly, looking down fondly at his sleeping son as he gently readjusted how the infant was laying in his arms. Looking over at Aoi, he said, "I'll take him to his crib… Little guy's exhausted…" Then, glaring at the still-laughing Anko, he said, "You, shut up. Don't wake the baby."

The purple-haired kunoichi thankfully got the idea quickly, waving goodbye as she and the others left. Then, when they were outside, she realized something, and stopped in her tracks.

"Anko, what's wrong?" Asuma asked, and she turned to look at them all.

"... We just saw Kakashi's face… and nobody had a camera."

0o0o0( _THREE MONTHS LATER _)0o0o0

The group was hanging out in Kakashi and Aoi's home again, when Satoshi was six months old, and it seemed that nothing could lure the child away from his father. He was sitting in Kakashi's lap on the floor playing with his father's Jounin vest, while Aoi and the other women (plus Might Guy) were getting ready to prepare a meal.

"So, Satoshi likes his Daddy, doesn't he?" Asuma asked smiling as he watched the silver-haired man play with his son.

"Seems like it…" Kakashi said, smiling as he son once again managed to pull his mask down. "He really likes doing that… at least he doesn't do it whenever we're outside of the house… Wait, why do you have that video camera?" His gaze was pointed at Anko as he said this, glaring slightly at the woman who had pulled out the recording device for the exact purpose of catching Kakashi without his mask on.

"For proof." she said, grinning, "My other friends didn't believe me when I told them about that first time…"

"Da…"

Everyone froze.

"Did he just...?"

"Da…." Satoshi was looking up at his father with a look of intense concentration that was so similar to Kakashi's that it would have caused the others to laugh if it weren't for the fact that the child seemed to be trying to _talk_. "Da…"

"Satoshi?" Kakashi asked, looking down at his son in astonishment, and the infant smiled.

"Da… da… Dada!" the little boy had a happy and triumphant look on his face as he finally managed to say what he had been trying to, and giggled loudly as he batted his hands against Kakashi's chest. "Dada!"

"Then who's that, Satoshi?" Kakashi asked, lifting his son so he could see Aoi's hopeful eyes as they waited to hear him talk.

The infant took on that same look of concentration again, as he started to say, "M… Ma… Ma…. Mama! Mama, Mama!"

"YOSH! Satoshi-kun is as quick a learner as his father!" Guy said, going his 'nice-guy' pose as he laughed loudly, earning a blank look from the whole room.

"...Cwazy" Guy was immediately depressed, having heard Satoshi's small voice call him crazy. He wasn't crazy; he was an advocate for youth in young people and encouraged them to go beyond their limits to be an excellent shinobi…

"Anyways… we actually called you here for a very specific reason.." Aoi said, clearing her voice as she looked over at Kakashi, causing him to go serious as well. The effect was ruined by the six-month-old chanting "Mama! Dada!" at the top of his lungs that was clinging to Kakashi's shoulders and vest until Aoi took Satoshi from him.

"Uh, yeah… well, me and Aoi have been trying to decide who's going to be Satoshi's godparents, so… yeah." Kakashi said, pulling his mask back up. "I know you all probably want to do this… but I'm going to ask anyway… Do I have _any_ volunteers?"

"ME! ME! ME! ME!" Guy wasted no time in volunteering, waving his raised hand like a kid in grade school.

"Guy. No. Aoi and I agreed beforehand that it _won't_ be you…" Guy's happy demeanor once again deflated, sitting in the corner of the room as a dark cloud hovered over him. "So, Asuma, I take it _you_ want to be Godfather?"

"Sure." Asuma didn't mind the idea of being around kids. In fact, he even helped out at the orphanage every now and then where he had grown up whenever he had any spare time.

The two women were actually arguing back and forth on who would be Godmother, and it seemed like a total cat-fight would break out right then and there until Kurenai put Anko under a sleeping Genjutsu, thus winning the argument.

Then, scaring the daylights out of Guy, the doorbell rang, causing Aoi to go see who it was, handing Satoshi back to Kakashi in the process. The child immediately went back to playing with his father's mask and headband, trying to figure out once again how to remove them from his father's face.

"Oh! Lord Hokage! Glad to see you made it; we already went around to see who'd be Satoshi's Godparents…"

"Ah, that's ok, Aoi… and I'm sorry that I'm late…. Paperwork is the bane of my existence." The older Hokage said, stretching his back with one hand as he sat down on an offered chair. "Thank you… and I don't mind… the little one can always call me grandpa!"

"Ga'pa?" Satoshi said curiously, turning his head while his right hand was still gripping the bottom edge of his father's headband.

"That's right, Satoshi! Just like Grandpa Oto!" Kakashi said happily, even as his son returned to trying to completely pull the headband off of him.

"Oh my, I see young Satoshi is already starting his training by unmasking Kakashi…" The old Hokage said, laughing merrily as he remembered when his son used to do much of the same thing when he was younger.

"He's been doing it since he was three months old," Aoi said in amusement, watching as Satoshi giggled happily as he finally pulled the headband off, holding it in his left hand and starting to pull the mask down from where it was already half-down from his earlier efforts. "And the thing is, Satoshi follows him around like a lost puppy when Kakashi is home, so anytime he sits down is an opportunity to see his father's face."

"Yeah, I dare say he's pretty much obsessed with my face…" Kakashi said, smiling as Satoshi finally managed to remove his mask and started to pat his cheeks and nose with a happy look on his face that matched his father's. "The only problem is that when he removes my headband, it reveals my Sharingan, and I don't want to scare him."

"Okami… your Sharingan doesn't even faze him, let alone scare him," Aoi giggled, seeing Satoshi smiling at his father's mismatched eyes, "In fact, I think he likes it a lot."

"Dada!" Satoshi cheered, patting a tiny hand on the scar that went from above his father's Sharingan to about an inch from his mouth, a smile on his cute little face as he brought Kakashi's headband close to his head. "'Toshi Dada!"

"Oh, you are?" The Hokage asked, smiling at the sheer amount of cuteness emanating from the baby, "My my, then where is Satoshi?" The old Hokage asked, glancing around the room like he hadn't seen Satoshi, earning a bright squeal from the young child as he let the headband fall off his head. "There you are, Satoshi!" The man couldn't quite lift the boy above his head like he had with his son at this size, but lifted him high enough to earn a happy laughter from Satoshi as Aoi took him from the Hokage. Then, once again after everyone said their goodbyes and left the family alone once more, Satoshi reached for his father, wanting to play with his hair some more.

"What is it with this kid and my head?" Kakashi asked, laughing softly as he accepted the child back into his arms, the infant immediately starting to play with his gravity-defying hair. "It's either my hair or my face-"

"Or both." Aoi said, cutting Kakashi off as Satoshi's eyes drifted shut, his thumb in his mouth as Father Sleep lured him to his dreams. "Either way, he's gonna be the only one who will be able to boast how he unmasked his father when so many before him had tried…"

"Except for you," Kakashi said, looking over at his wife as he pulled his mask back up, "You were able to unmask me many more times, remember?"

"Yeah, well as your wife it's no surprise to me what you hide under there…." Aoi said teasingly, threatening to unmask him as well as one finger went along the edge of his mask as the two got ready for bed.


	11. Jiraiya The Funny Man

**JIRAIYA THE FUNNY MAN**

Down the main road where many people traveled about their day, many didn't see a older man in his mid-fifties as he bent over in a tea shop, a pad of paper with a pen in his hand, his wild white hair behind him like a lion's mane.

"I wonder what that old man had messaged me about?" Jiraiya mused under his breath as he exited the shop, mulling around the streets with no destination in mind. As his mind ran through no particular thoughts, the Toad Sage was pulled into reality when he felt a hand tug on his hair, turning around to see a young child not much older than less than a year old. "... Hey kiddo. You lost?" A child as young as this had no place to wander around alone unless he had been separated from his mother.

"I Pway wif Dada!" the little boy said, smiling widely. "I hide, he find!"

And with that, he actually managed to hide himself… inside of the man's hair. So the kid's parents, or at least one of them, was a ninja? He heard a soft giggle from inside his long white hair, and rolled his eyes. '_Kids…_' "Hey now, who's your parents? I might know 'em."

"Satoshi! Satoshi, where are you?" A panicked male voice caught Jiraiya's attention, and he looked over, only to see Kakashi Hatake looking around with a panicked look in his eye. "Come on, game's over!"

"Dada no find here…" Jiraiya heard the little boy giggle softly, and after a few moments...

'_This kid is Kakashi's brat!? How much did I miss when I was gone?' _Jiraiya thought, shocked at the information as he looked down at the child, moving his own hair out of the way to get a better look. Now that he got a better look at him, the boy did share a lot of similar features to Hatake, but the pure white hair and ice blue eyes were undoubtedly from whoever the mother was. Looking back at Kakashi, Jiraiya saw that the headband had gone up and the Sharingan revealed as it locked on them… or really his son. '_Oh boy…_'

"Satoshi! There you are; don't ever hide from me like that!" Kakashi said, panic clear in his voice as he seemed to ignore Jiraiya… even though his son had literally wrapped himself up in the man's hair.

"Funny man gabe me 'way!" Satoshi pouted, hitting Jiraiya's leg with one little fist… which didn't even hurt.

That seemed to snap Kakashi to who his son had used to hide behind. "Jiraiya-Sama! I didn't know you were in town; I'm sorry my son dragged you into playing hide-n-seek…"

"Aw, don't mention it. The kid didn't mean anything by it. By the way…. I'm sure there's quite a story behind this…" Jiraiya said light-heartedly, eyeing Satoshi and Kakashi shot a mild glare at him.

"Jiraiya, you aren't planning to use me and my wife for one of your books, are you?" Kakashi's Sharingan tomoe lazily spun in his eye, but that threat was enough to cause Jiraiya to back off.

"Easy there, Kakashi. I know better than to do that…." The sage had learned the hard way once not to involve a married woman in one of his earlier books, but that experience had been enough to scare someone like Jiraiya to not even approach married couples lest he wanted another black eye... "I'm just curious what kind of girl could have gotten Kakashi of the Sharingan to settle down and have a family, is all."

"Kashi! Did you find him yet!?" a feminine voice called out, as Aoi ran over to her husband through the crowded streets. "Satoshi! There you are, you had us so worried!" she scooped up her little boy, hugging him to her chest as she tried to calm herself down.

"Jiraiya, I'd like to introduce you to my wife, Aoi Hakucho Hatake. Aoi, this is Jiraiya of the Sannin… and my sensei's mentor." At this piece of information, Aoi's head turned to Kakashi in disbelief before looking at Jiraiya.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Jiraiya-San," Aoi said softly, smiling, "I do hope that Satoshi didn't cause you any trouble…"

"Oh, it's my pleasure, Aoi-san; anyone who can tame this wild dog is alright in my book… and the kid wasn't a bother at all."

"Well, I'd say he's more of a wolf," Aoi said, giggling. "He's my Okami."

"How did you two meet, anyway?" Jiraiya asked, curious to know the story. "I've never seen anyone like you around before…"

"Well, it's actually a rather long story…" Aoi said, as Satoshi kept reaching towards Kakashi, "One I think should be told elsewhere off the open streets.…"

"He could come back home with us; it's nearly time for _someone_ to have their dinner, after all," Kakashi said, taking his son into his arms.

"'Ungy! 'Ungy!" Satoshi said loudly, giggling.

"I'm actually on a little business for the Hokage, but I'd love to take you up your offer afterwards." Jiraiya said, watching the happy family before him.

"Alright. Here's our address; just let yourself in when you want." Kakashi said, giving the Sage his address on a scrap piece of paper before waving as he and his wife left, his hand on the small of his wife's back as they disappeared from Jiraiya's sight…. For a moment, the man could mistake them for another couple Jiraiya had known…. White hair for red and silver for blonde as the smaller body waved at him and called him 'grandpa'….

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Kakashi was once again playing with his son in the living room when he heard the door open, but he was a little preoccupied with a pair of little hands that were working to uncover his face…

"Who's there?" he called out, even as Satoshi managed to remove his headband.

"Relax Kakashi, it's just me." Jiraiya said, appearing in the doorway into the living room as the Toad Sage looked at the scene with interest. "Do you always let your kid do that to you? Or is he smart enough already to outsmart his old man?"

"He's been doing it since he was three months old… he's just obsessed with my face, apparently…" Kakashi said, laughing as Satoshi started tugging on his mask. "Hey Satoshi, look who's here to eat dinner with us."

"Huh?... Funny man!" The child cheered, leaning backwards and somehow supporting himself only by his grip on his father's mask, which stretched a few inches away from his face. Then, without warning, Satoshi did indeed let go, scrambling out of his father's arms to run towards Jiraiya on his little legs, while Kakashi fell backwards onto the floor while holding his face, after his mask had very forcefully snapped back onto his face.

"Ow… that really hurt…" the silver-haired man groaned, wondering just how much bruising there would be after that…

"Hahaha! Looks like you defeated the Copycat, Satoshi!" Jiraiya praised, raising the boy above his head as Satoshi giggled.

"That was the first time that happened…" Kakashi groaned, not really wanting to get up. His face hurt too much. "He always pulls it down, not outwards…"

"If you boys are done working up an appetite, dinner's ready." Aoi said, watching them with an amused look on her face as she took her son from the Sage.

"...I don't want to get up…" Kakashi groaned, his hands still over the lower half of his face as he kept his eyes closed. "My face hurts…"

"If you don't get up, your food is going in the fridge... "

"Fine…" Kakashi said, forcing himself to get up, "... But I'm looking in a mirror first…"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Thankfully, Kakashi didn't find any bruising on his face from the snap of the mask after Satoshi had let go of it, though it was a little red in some places. He joined his family and Jiraiya for dinner, and couldn't help but smile when he saw Satoshi's happy expression as he ate his meal off his small dog-paw patterned baby bowl.

"So what did the Hokage want to talk to you about?" Kakashi asked as Jiraiya had shrugged his shoulders.

"Oh, the usual stuff; where I'd been recently and what had been going on there. Things like that a spymaster like me knows. He also told me about you, though I had to tell him Satoshi had already introduced himself." Jiraiya said, laughing as he remembered the look on his old teacher's face when he told him that. Even though the old man wasn't the kid's biological grandfather, he sure acted like it as he proudly talked about Satoshi.

"Just so you know, Jiraiya…" Kakashi said, smirking up at the man, "Lord Third has already claimed the grandfatherly duties since Aoi's family lives further away." Jiraiya's head snapped back at Kakashi's smiling face, an odd look on his face.

"... so he did, did he?" Jiraiya wasn't really surprised since he knew his sensei had always loved children and his son had grown up and 'left the nest', nor was he terribly jealous since he was in no rush to be pushed with that kind of responsibility since his work as a spy master was dangerous work, but still…. Kakashi was one of one of Minato's students… so that made Satoshi kind've like his great-grandson…. And a great-great-grandson to that old monkey….

"Oh, and did you hear?" Kakashi asked, still smiling, "Just last year, the Hokage's son had his own child; Konohamaru if I recall correctly…"

"... I think sensei mentioned it….." Actually he hadn't! That conniving, old, smelly-!

"Funny man 'kay?" Satoshi asked innocently, his head tilted cutely to one side as he looked at Jiraiya with his wide ice-blue eyes as the Sage awkwardly ruffled his white hair.

"Yeah…. I'm ok, kiddo… just me being an old toad, I guess..." But after this, Jiraiya swore to himself that he would keep up with what was going so he wasn't humiliated as a fool by knowing nothing… And he had a lot he would say to his old teacher when he saw him next.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Thanks for letting me stay over for dinner, Kakashi," Jiraiya said, patting the silver-haired man on the shoulder before kneeling before the small child. "Keep your old man on his toes for me, ok Satoshi? I know I can count on you." Jiraiya raise the small boy over his head one last time before giving him to Aoi as he left, heading back to his hotel (he had turned down Aoi's offer for him to stay on their couch seeing as he had already paid for a room at a hotel).

"No problem, Jiraiya," Kakashi said, smiling at the man who had taught his Sensei, "You're welcome back here at any time."

With a wave of his hand, Jiraiya's form disappeared into the distance, the family going back once inside as they both readied their son for bed, who had been wound up from their visitor as Satoshi rambled on about the 'funny man with white fur' until he finally fell asleep.

"Finally… I thought he'd never go down…. Satoshi really seemed to like Jiraiya-san." Aoi said as she and Kakashi climbed into their own bed.

"I blame it on the hair; Satoshi hasn't seen anyone else with white hair besides you and the Hokage… Your father, too…"

"Yeah….Goodnight, Okami"

"Goodnight, Aoi."


	12. Another Team Fails

**ANOTHER TEAM FAILS**

"I dread today…" Kakashi groaned, not really wanting to get out of bed. He'd had a rough night, some of his old nightmares returning for the first time in months, and he didn't really feel like going to test the students that Lord Hokage wanted him to teach. "Can't I just skip today and just play with my son…?"

"No you can't! These kids are part of your _sixth_ team in as many as _a year!_" Aoi said firmly, shaking her husband's shoulder as they both lay in bed.

"... They're spoiled Academy brats… _Satoshi_ behaves better than them, and he's only a year old!" Kakashi said, burying his face in his pillow, "And I really don't feel like going out of the house today…"

"Unless you came down with some ancient civilization bug-"

"_Flashbacks._" Kakashi said simply, just wanting to lay in the bed until the residual images from his nightmare faded away completely… eventually…

"Even if they're brats, as their teacher it's your job to whip them into proper shinobi this village would be proud to have… now come on and get ready… Unless you want me to summon Ginko again…."

"... You wouldn't." Ginko was one of his wife's swan summons who absolutely _hated_ him for whatever reason. Every time the fowl saw him, she'd try to pluck every strand of hair he had on his head. "... Don't you love me? That bird is evil incarnate…"

Then, with a smile that scared Kakashi a little, Aoi leaned in and said, "Then get up and go meet your students."

"... Fine, you win…" Kakashi said, reluctantly dragging himself out of bed, "But it's your fault if I have a panic attack because of the flashbacks… _again_." The flashbacks that Kakashi was referring to were old memories that had plagued Kakashi since he was a child, most likely starting when his father had committed suicide and continuing upon the guilt he felt about his teammates deaths…

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"... You _all fail_," Kakashi said, his tone stern, as he looked at the three _idiots_ he had been assigned to. Their looks of disbelief, anger, shock and betrayal were plain to see on their faces as their wide eyes looked at him. Oh, how he wished at this moment that he could've stayed home and played with his son… it would've been better than having to see their expressions…

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Yet again, I was assigned a group of complete _idiots_…" Kakashi fumed, as he walked down the streets of the Hidden Leaf Village. "Do they not teach them the _basic_ fundamentals of teamwork in that academy anymore?" Feeling himself in a particularly foul mood, Kakashi found a good sized tree as he pulled out a book he had recently started reading after a old friend of his in Anbu had recommended to him. The plot could do with a bit of help, and there was a bit of material that wouldn't be suitable for children or young teens, but what he found most interesting was the romantic plotline involved…

'_Oh who am I kidding… Aoi would never go along with _half _of what they talk about in here…_' Kakashi thought to himself, knowing his wife would summon that demonic bird in a heartbeat and lock him out of the house if she even _caught_ him reading this around their son. "Well, better head home and face the music…"

"Kakashi, is that…" a female voice said, and he looked up to see Kurenai looking at him with a shocked expression, Anko and Asuma with her. "Are you reading _Icha Icha?!_"

"... It's a good romantic series…" Kakashi said, slowly hiding the book in his vest. "Why do you ask?"

"You do know who writes it, right Kakashi?" Kurenai's tone of voice was unamused as his obvious ploy to distract her.

"... I've been having a bad day, ok?" he snapped, his exposed eye narrowed. "You wouldn't understand…"

"Another bad bunch?" Asuma asked, having been a supporting shoulder for Kakashi after the second team of students who had failed.

"And flashbacks last night when I was sleeping…" Kakashi said softly, looking down at the grass. "My dreams always twist them into something worse that it actually was…" The three winced at this, knowing that Kakashi had been through a lot and had their fair share of 'bad dreams'... "It was… Obito… and Rin…" Kakashi didn't have to say any more after mentioning his female teammates' name, Asuma putting a comforting hand on the man's shoulder as Kurenai and Anko gave knowing looks at each other, having heard enough of that story to know it would've haunted anyone for years.

"Alright, I'll drop it about the book," Kurenai said, raising her hands in a backing-off motion as her ruby eyes looked in worry at her friend. "Were you about to head home to Aoi?"

"... Yeah…. Hopefully she doesn't sic that demon bird on me again…."

"Hey, don't go calling Ginko a 'demon bird'... that fowl can hold her liquor, and for that she has my respect." Anko said, pointing one of her painted nails at Kakashi.

"... That thing hates me, and I don't know why…" Kakashi growled, then froze. "Wait, did you challenge a _swan_ to a _drinking competition?!_"

"Yup… we hung out that one time when you and Aoi were on your anniversary, and now she and I are friends."

"... I'm not even going to _ask_ who won…" Kakashi groaned, standing up with a hand to his forehead. "I'm going home… Hopefully my cute little son can help me distract myself from my past… and calm down Aoi enough..."

"Good luck man…"

"Tell Lord Third I'll be unavailable this week, would you?" Kakashi asked Asuma over his shoulder, "I'll need some time to get my head back on straight…" His response was a thumbs up as Asuma and the two female kunoichi watched their friend walk off.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"I'm home!" Kakashi called out, as he opened the door to the small house that he and his family had called home for the past three years.

"Daddy!" Satoshi's small toddling feet pitter-pattering down the short hallway as he ran greeted his father's ears as the one-year old ran into his open arms. "'Oo 'ome!"

"I missed you too, 'Toshi," Kakashi said, smiling for the first time since he woke up that morning. His son was always a surefire way to cheer him up after a bad day.

"U hav fun?"

"Not really," Kakashi admitted, still smiling as he settled his son on one of his shoulders, keeping one arm up to keep the child balanced, "The students I was assigned to were not very good, so they're back in the Academy."

"Aga?" Satoshi was surprisingly very understanding of what he heard he and Aoi talk about, so his young mind knew that his father had a hard time finding a team of students.

"Yes, again," Kakashi chuckled, carrying his son to the living room, "They just aren't as good as you are, Satoshi. You behave a lot better than the kids in the Academy."

"Toshi sma'wt!"

"Yes, you are!" Kakashi agreed, laughing as his son started to play with his hair. "You are much smarter than those older kids."

"So I take it that they failed your test.." Aoi's voice asked, appearing in the doorway of the kitchen when she heard her husband come home.

"Yes… Yet again, two of them abandoned their third teammate even when I gave them a hint about teamwork, and that's unacceptable…" Kakashi said, sitting down on the floor with his son. "It's like they don't even teach the basics of how teams are supposed to work anymore…" Aoi sighed at this, knowing the subject was a touchy one around Kakashi, especially when he had another one of his dreams…

The story of Obito and their team had been one of the first things Kakashi told her about when they had started dating after she had woken up in the middle of the night to him screaming in his sleep, crying as he spoke their names and asked for them to forgive him, and because of that she never dug into him about it. It had also been the night she learned about the story behind what he had told Osamu when she had first found Kakashi all those years ago…

'_... Like your friend using you to commit suicide?_' He had asked Osamu this when the Hebi Tribe Leader had told him to only feel the way he did when he had something to truly regret. Nobody had asked him what he had been talking about then… she had only learned about the entire story about a year and a half after he had asked that question. It was also when she learned that people used to call her love "Friend Killer Kakashi."

Bringing Kakashi into a hug, his head nuzzled into her chest like a child, she said, "I know you keep on getting disappointed by all those kids, but I know one of these days you'll find a team of students who meet every expectation of yours, and even further than that. I know it…"

0o0o0o0o0( A Few Months Later…)0o0o0o0o0

That year, Kakashi stood in the Hokage's office as he was handed the folder of his new potential students, and as he opened it, his heart was caught in his throat as the first thing he saw was what seemed like a younger version of his old Sensei's face with three whisker-like markings on each cheek as bright blue eyes stared at him. Instantly, images and memories of his Sensei flashed through his mind, as he stood there, frozen in place by the past.

"Is there a problem, Kakashi?" The old Hokage's voice was enough to snap him out of it as he looked to the old man.

"Oh! Uh… No, it's just…" Kakashi turned the folder to show the picture of the boy, and comprehension dawned in Lord Third's eyes.

"Ah, yes…. The son of your Sensei, Minato…"

"And I still can't tell him… can I?" Kakashi asked dejectedly, remembering how it had been told not to reveal Naruto's heritage to him.

"... No you cannot…" The old man took a deep breath of smoke from his pipe as he looked at the ninja, knowing it was hard for him.

"I just wish… I could have _been there_ for him…" Kakashi said softly, staring at the picture of his Sensei's only son, "If only I could have protected him from the civilians…"

Another puff of smoke left the Hokage's lips as he smiled knowingly at Kakashi. "If he and the other two pass your unbeatable test, you will be there for him… as his sensei and the one who will make a fine Shinobi out of him."

"And Sasuke Uchiha…" Kakashi said softly, finally turning Naruto's page over to reveal that of the Uchiha Heir. "Another child who is just like me… Like I was at their age…"

"Yes, well that one should be obvious since you are the only other individual with the Sharingan to show him how to come into his own when it awakens-"

"I'm not talking about the Sharingan…" Kakashi said, sighing, "I'm talking about experiences we've had during our childhood. Both of these boys have experienced loss and pain… just as I had. At least this time… they won't be left to fend for themselves for the rest of their childhoods…"

"I know what you meant, Kakashi... now beat it; I'm sure Aoi would love to hear the news."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Aoi, Satoshi, I'm home!" Kakashi called out as he entered his small house. Instantly, the familiar sound of tiny little feet met his ears as he knelt down with his arms open for his son, the folder held in one hand.

"Daddy!"

"Welcome home dear- Is that the next batch?" Aoi asked curiously, eyeing the manila folder in his hand. Kakashi was grinning as he scooped up his son in his arms and walked over to his wife.

"Yeah, and I have high hopes for this group," he said, and it was more praise than he had ever given any other team without meeting them first. "Sensei's son is in it…"

"Minato's?! Gimme!" Aoi said, trying to reach for the folder as Kakashi held it above her head.

"Hey now, I haven't gotten my welcome home kiss yet!"

"You'll get it after you give me the folder!" Aoi exclaimed, jumping again for the folder only for it to be beyond her reach.

"Kiss first?" Kakashi asked, and then immediately regretted it.

Because Aoi had summoned the demon bird.


	13. First Team to Make It!

**THE FIRST TEAM TO MAKE IT**

Kakashi was grinning when he left the training area, a slight bounce to his step as he made his way home.

'_They did it! They actually did it!_' he was thinking to himself, feeling almost like he was flying. '_They actually worked as a team is supposed to, supporting each other even when it got tough… though they did so only after Naruto got tied to the post..._'

His demeanor was so much more cheerful than he normally was after evaluating a team that his friends took notice, Asuma quickly pulling him aside and holding a kunai to his throat.

"Ok, who are you, and what did you do with Kakashi?!" Asuma had never seen his friend in such a good mood since he got married and Satoshi was born….

"It's me, Asuma," Kakashi chuckled, pushing the kunai away, "The team I was evaluating actually _passed!_"

"Really? You mean, you didn't just feel sorry for them and gave up?"

"I'm completely serious! They actually functioned as a _team_, unlike those others that I tested…" Kakashi was still grinning, obvious even through his mask, as he resisted the temptation to just jump around like a lunatic. "My faith in the Academy has now been restored."

"Well that's good, I guess. I just got done evaluating my own team, and I'm just gonna say it's gonna take some effort with two of them…" Asuma said, rubbing the back of his head slightly.

"Oh, I'm not saying that my own team won't have it's own challenges," Kakashi admitted, "Naruto and Sasuke don't really get along all too well, and Sakura is just a Sasuke fangirl, but I know that they have great potential… deep down at least."

"Are my ears deceiving me, or did Kakashi finally get a team?" a dark haired woman asked from the shadows of a tree, her red eyes looking at Asuma in disbelief.

"Apparently so…" Asuma said, his eyes still showing that he was trying to process this, "Should we throw a party?"

"Please no… the last time we threw a party at my house, Anko somehow sneaked in a bottle of Sake and Aoi accused me of letting her…. And she knows I can't make that crazy woman do anything!"

"Who said it had to be _your_ place?" Asuma asked, now looking mischievous as he pulled out a set of keys, "We could throw the party at Lord Third's, since he'll probably be just as surprised to hear that your reign of terror among the graduates is at an end."

"... Did you seriously steal your dad's house keys!?" Kurenai asked in shock, having not seen this side of her friend since he was in his rebellious phase as a teenager.

"No… I just… _borrowed_ them." Asuma said, smiling, "Without permission."

"You're as bad as Anko sometimes, you know that Asuma?" Kakashi asked and then sighed, "I'm gonna go home; tell Aoi the good news. Let me know when the party is, ok?"

"Will do!"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Aoi, Satoshi, I'm-" Kakashi was cut off by his little boy tackling his legs, his sentence breaking off into laughter as he pried his son off to pick him up. "Well, someone's excited today, isn't he?"

"I wa pacratising sneke skills!"

"I see that!" Kakashi laughed as he settled Satoshi on his hip as he made his way to the kitchen, where he could smell his wife cooking something, "Hello, my Utsukushi Tori…"

"Welcome home, dear! You're in an awfully good mood! What's the occasion?"

"The team passed, Aoi!" Kakashi said, laughing happily, "They passed my test! I am now Sensei to Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura, A.K.A Team 7!"

"Ahh! Congrats!- oh sorry baby, did I squish you?"

"Mama!"

0o0o0o0o0(Break POV to team 7)0o0o0o0o0

"Naruto, are you sure this is a good idea?" A pink haired girl asked as her emerald green eyes worriedly looked at the 'ground' beneath her and her blonde teammate as another boy with them, one who had dark hair and clothing, tsked in annoyance.

"For once, I'm in agreement with Naruto. I want to learn more about our Sense too; he didn't give us much info other than his name in the introductions." That and he had sat on him during their test to become Genin, using him as an example of a point he had been trying to get to them. No one sat on a Uchiha and got away with it.

"I'm sure Sakura! I've been on tons of roofs in the past and nothing bad has ever happened- Woah!" Both Naruto and the other two fell through a weak part in the roof, landing in what seemed to be a living room after the dust and debris had settled… and their Sensei was sitting on a nearby couch with a white-haired, ice-blue-eyed toddler in his lap.

"Hi, guys," Kakashi said calmly, raising one eyebrow at the Genin, as his wife came in to see what the commotion was.

"Kakashi, what on earth was that racket-" Aoi's speech cut off when she saw the three Genin in her living room covered in dust and rubble and the hole in her ceiling, making the connection easily to what had happened… and absolutely stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the corn yellow blonde head of hair and sapphire blue eyes look up at her in confusion. "Oh…"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"...and what have I been telling you? That spot on the roof has been needing to get repaired since we _moved here_, but no... You said you would get to it later." Aoi said as she got onto her husband while Team Seven watched the couple interact, Satoshi oblivious to his mother's rant as he sat in Sasuke's lap playing with his arm warmers. The only reason Sasuke's hair wasn't the victim at the moment was because everytime the child reached for his hair, Sasuke would lean his head the other way.

"Um… Kakashi-Sensei….?" Sakura asked hesitantly for her teacher's attention, fidgeting when his coal black eye met her wondering gaze. "Uh… I'm sorry about your roof….I tried telling Naruto it was a bad idea, but you know how he is; he just doesn't listen."

"It's alright Sakura. I've been needing to get that taken care of for a while, so this is just the world's way of telling me I can't put it off anymore…" Kakashi told his female student, his visible eye squinting into his notable 'eye smile' as she relaxed at his comfort.

"Hey… do I know you, lady?" Sakura and Kakashi looked around to see Naruto looking closely at Aoi with an unreadable expression. "'Cause I feel like I do…"

"No… I don't believe we've met before…" Aoi said, smiling at the boy. "Have you hung around the markets before? I tend to do a lot of my shopping in that tiny store where-"

"-Where that old bald guy sells just about everything! Yeah, I've been in there before!" Naruto's head then dropped as a small frown marred his face. "Though he doesn't like me going in his shop… none of the grown ups around there do…"

"And that's one of the things I intend to change," Kakashi said, coming over from where he had been cleaning up the fallen parts of the roof. "I don't like having to watch kids like you being cast out; it's not right."

"Aw, it's alright Kakashi-Sensei, I'm used to it! Besides, I stopped hanging out around there after I pranked that butcher guy by pouring neon yellow paint all over his stall; his stuff wasn't all that good anyway." Naruto said good heartedly, putting his hands behind his head as a fox-like grin broke out across his face.

"Used to it or not, I've seen your apartment, as is customary for a Jounin assigned to a new team," Kakashi said sternly, shaking his head, "With the stipend the Hokage is giving you, you should be able to buy more food than that… I have a suspicion that the market sellers are overpricing you."

"You let me worry about those people, Kakashi." Aoi said confidently, the look in her eyes causing a shiver to run down Kakashi's spine; whenever he saw that look, he knew someone was about to get hurt.

"They're _breaking_ the _law_, Aoi…" Kakashi said, looking just as angry as his wife did. "As a Leaf Village Shinobi, I cannot let this go unpunished…"

"And they won't go unpunished…. Like I said, leave it to me. For now, you be a good role model for your students… and eat your food before it gets cold. You too, Team Seven. Being a ninja is hard work, so you'll need to keep up your strength."

There was a collective 'Yes Ma'am' in the room as they ate what was on their plates that Aoi had set in front of them, having also seen the look in her eye that warned them not to go against her words. Aoi might've been a housewife, but she was also a Jounin, and these kids were the first team to pass her husband's test, so she would make sure they were well taken care of.

And God help anyone who messed with her family.


	14. Genin Days and Another Surprise?

**GENIN DAYS AND ANOTHER SURPRISE?!**

Aoi was grinning when she made her way to the training ground where her husband was training his "cute little Genin," and Satoshi was smiling as the two of them walked, holding hands as a small basket of prepared food was in her other hand. Little did her Okami know was that she had gone just before to the Doctor's since she had been feeling a little off for almost two weeks now, and had gotten the most wonderful surprise for her husbands ears.

As she and Satoshi made it to the training grounds, her son squealed in delight when he saw his father doing some Taijutsu training with Sasuke and Naruto as Sakura seemed to be taking a break as she sat against a tree and drank some water. Sasuke and Naruto had become like big brothers to Satoshi in the little time they had been around one another; Kakashi had even complained that his students were taking away his 'daddy-son' time with Satoshi when the small boy had run right past him one evening when Team Seven had been invited over for dinner and into Naruto.

"Na'to! Sa'kay!" the little boy called out, letting go of his mother's hand to run as fast as he could on his little legs towards the two, his smile widening when his father turned towards him, "DADDY!"

"Hey Satoshi! Did you come all by yourself to visit your dad?" Kakashi said playfully, looking over at his wife as Naruto and Sakura immediately came over to greet their sensei's son.

"I just thought you guys would want to take a break and eat something that wasn't ramen." Aoi said while she laughed, ruffling Naruto's hair when she mentioned ramen, knowing it was the boy's favorite food and what they ended up eating because of Naruto, no matter how bad it was for him to eat all the time.

"Alright! Aoi's sandwiches- Hey jerk, that's mine!" Naruto yelled at Sasuke, the two boys entering a staring contest as Sasuke took small bites of the sandwich Naruto was going for.

"Then be faster next time, you dead last." Taking another bite, Sasuke turned away from the blonde as he sat down on a raised tree root even when Naruto followed him, yelling more as Sakura tried to get in between them.

While the two boys were arguing, Aoi turned to Kakashi, pulling a piece of paper out of her wide sleeve. "Okami… Take a look at this."

"Huh? What is…." Kakashi stopped dead in what he was about to say, seeing the top reading that it was from the hospital and a little plus sign on the bottom after a bunch of medical related stats and charts of different chemical levels. "Aoi… You mean?...Again?"

"Yes, Okami… Again," she said, smiling as she wrapped her arms around her husband.

"Mama… wha' wong?" Satoshi had stepped away from watching his older brother figures arguing when he spotted his mother giving his dad a piece of paper and saw the look of surprise on his face (Satoshi had learned what face his dad was making even under the mask) and was curious what she had told him.

"Oh, nothing is wrong sweetheart… It's just… how do you feel about being a big brother?"

"Bi brotha? Toshi's gonna be like Na'to and Sa'kay?!" Satoshi's eyes that were a perfect replica of his mother's widened in wonder as Aoi nodded, finding her son's reaction as cute, if not more so, than her husband's to the happy news.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Team Seven's reaction to their news was close to Kakashi's, only with Naruto jumping around yelling he was gonna be the best big brother (this caused a small argument with Satoshi who claimed the title for himself), Sakura was gushing about babies and everything that was cute about them, and Sasuke remaining quiet, if only looking at her flat stomach that would later expand with a curious look in his eyes.

Besides the news, Team seven's Genin days had not changed much, nor the kind of missions they were getting around the village; from pulling weeds out of gardens to dog walking to cleaning up trash in the rivers.

One day, however, this all seemed to finally get to Naruto, who all but blew up in front of the Hokage after they had been sent to find and retrieve the cat belonging to the Daimyo's wife, demanding that they be given a better mission since they were real ninja now. Thankfully, the older Kage didn't think too much of it and assigned them their first C-rank mission of escorting a bridge builder by the name of Tazuna back to his home country.

As the team and escorted builder stood in front of the village gates, Aoi said her goodbyes to each and everyone of Team Seven. "...Naruto, don't you forget to use your manners and eat your vegetables- yes even the green ones. I know you don't like them, but how are you ever gonna be Hokage if you don't get strong… Sasuke, I know you and Naruto don't get along, but keep an eye on him, please? As a team, it's a part of your training to look after one another…"

"I think they get it, Aoi… We'll be fine, don't you worry." Kakashi said, calming down his wife with a kiss on her forehead.

"Be safe, Okami…" Aoi said, wrapping her arms around her husband and pressing a kiss to his masked lips. "Love you… And don't forget to bring back some pictures to show Satoshi!" She said, handing him the camera that he always took with him on longer missions. She had always heard that Wave Country was beautiful this time of year from one of her cousins who had liked to travel.

"Will do…"


	15. Wave Country Mission: Success!

**WAVE COUNTRY MISSION: SUCCESS!**

Kakashi and his Genin were surprised when their mission turned out to be more than was in the original job description… but after Tazuna pulled out some emotional blackmail, they couldn't find it in themselves to quit. And Kakashi managed to snag a few pictures with the two Chunin they tied to a tree.

"No hard feelings," he had said, smiling at the brothers, "I just wanted something to show my little one when I get home… Do you think I could take that bladed chain of yours?" Kakashi mostly wanted it so they wouldn't have a weapon to attack anyone else when they were taken in custody by whatever Hunter-nin found them, but a souvenir never hurt.

His students had laughed while Tazuna looked at him like he was crazy, and he actually did walk away with the chain in his possession.

Then, things became even crazier when they learned the name of who was after Tazuna and ran into Zabuza Momochi once they reached the Land of Waves.

In the middle of his fight with the Nuke-nin, Kakashi had casually asked while lazily pulling the camera out of his weapon pouch, "Hey, Zabuza, do you mind posing with me for a picture for my little boy?" His question was met by a swing of Zabuza's executioner's blade, right before the Nuke-nin froze when what Kakashi had said sunk in.

"You mean there's a mini-Copycat running around the Leaf?..."

"Well, he doesn't have my Sharingan… for obvious reasons, but yes, I have a child… a son who is about to turn two in a few months."

"..." Their fight had halted for a moment as Zabuza was trying to process that bit of information. And then Kakashi smiled.

"So… Picture?"

"... This stays between you and me, Copycat….. You tell anyone and your kid will grow up without a dad…..."

"It's for my son, you know. And he's actually found my Bingo Book of other ninja… He actually likes your photo in there, for whatever reason..." Kakashi said, rolling his eyes as he said this, and pulled a small pamphlet out of his weapons pouch, opening it to show Zabuza what was inside, "This is my wife and my son, Aoi and Satoshi."

Strangely enough, the kid had apparently swiped his father's headband, and was wearing it sideways like Zabuza did as he held his tiny hand in a victory sign at whoever was holding the camera. "... Cute kid. Now, let's finish what we started, eh Hatake?"

"Just a second," Kakashi said, turning on the camera and standing in front of Zabuza and to the side, "Smile for the camera!"

Zabuza didn't smile. However, he _did_ do a small victory sign, just because he knew that Kakashi's kid apparently liked him, and he wanted to make a semi-good impression. The camera shutter clicked, and Kakashi instantly jumped away, putting the camera back in his weapons pouch as he took up a fighting stance.

"Thanks for that! Now, let's get back to this…"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The third surprise Kakashi and Team Seven got on that mission was the mysterious masked hunter who had faked Zabuza's death with Senbon Needles before Kakashi and the Nuke-Nin's fight could continue; giving Kakashi some time to train his students about how to send chakra to their feet and other basic parts of chakra control before a fight broke out on the bridge Tazuna was building.

After he and Zabuza had exchanged blows, as well as between his two male students and the masked boy who was just three years older than Sasuke and Naruto, Gatou had shown up with fifty or so thugs he had hired to kill whoever had won the battle.

"Well, Zabuza…" Kakashi said, drawing his words out in a bored-sounding way, "These guys seem to be intent on killing us anyway, no matter who wins… How about we team up?"

"Sounds good to me… that guy _was_ getting on my last nerves…" With Kakashi of the Sharingan and the Demon of the Hidden Mist, the fight didn't last long; Kakashi leaving his students out of it to patch up any wounds they had from the Senbon Haku had been fighting them with.

"Now that's over… where were you planning on going after this, Zabuza?"

"Eh… I guess me and the kid were gonna roam around and find other work…" Zabuza said as he rubbed the back of his head, though unsure of what they would actually do. As a enemy shinobi of the Hidden Mist, it's not like there was anything for them here since Hunter-nin would continue to follow after them… and that wasn't the life he wanted for Haku. The boy deserved so much more that what Zabuza could ever hope to give him...

"You could always come back with us," Kakashi offered, smiling. "You already broke off from your own village, so I'm sure that once the Hokage knew your situation, he would allow you to join our village. Granted you would be on probation for a while, but….Who knows? You might even be able to teach your own team at some point. Don't worry, I'll vouch for you and the kid too."

"... Thanks.. That sounds like a good enough idea for the time being…. HEY HAKU! We're leaving with the Leaf Team, so pack it up and hurry your butt over here!"

"Yes, Zabuza…"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Returning the Hidden Leaf with two Mist shinobi was… an experience that Kakashi would never forget, nor ever live down.

He had actually found out he had a lot in common ninja wise with Zabuza, the two bonding over their preferred fighting styles and other things while the kids all seemed to get along as well; Haku being the voice of reason whenever Sasuke and Naruto started arguing and Sakura's pleading didn't work.

"How do you ever put up with _three_ of them, Kakashi?" Zabuza asked, his left eye twitching as he heard yet _another_ argument start up behind them.

"Hehe… you get used to it." Kakashi was really used to it, given how bad is own team had been; he and Obito had been much like Sasuke and Naruto, constantly in each others face, though Sasuke was a little easier to provoke than he had been. "Though its nice that Haku is so well behaved… I assume that's because of your training?"

"Yeah… didn't give him any excuse to slack off his studies, just how I was always taught…" Slacking off in any way in the Hidden Mist was just asking for someone to kill you or prevent you from becoming a ninja in the future; less competition that way. "Though that never hindered Haku's natural kind heart… you won't believe how many small critters he brought me to heal when he found them…"

"Sounds like he's got the natural trait of a healer, then." Kakashi said, laughing at the face Zabuza made.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"So…. I see your mission was successful Team Seven…." The Third Hokage said as he blew out a puff of smoke from his pipe, eyeing the two other ninja in the room. "More than successful even…"

"Lord Hokage, would you allow these two to become a part of our village?" Kakashi asked stepping forward. "If needed, I will personally take on responsibility for keeping them in line while they are on a probationary period, but they feel that they can never return to their homeland."

"Well, that is a given, since Zabuza Momochi is a Nuke-nin and the boy his accomplice…" Another puff of smoke as old eyes looked the two up and down with sagely knowledge behind them. "But…. if you're absolutely sure of this Kakashi… I'll allow them to remain in the village under strict watch for the following two months. If they do anything that would endanger the village… their lives are forfeit. Do you understand?"

"Yes Sir."

"You hear that, Zabuza! We can stay!" Haku smiled up at his mentor innocently as the former-Mist ninja tsked, turning his head so his student wouldn't see his face… which was kinda starting to blush. The kid was just too cute for his own good, sometimes…

Yup, the mission was a success, and in more ways than one!


End file.
